Diamondbacks hold on to beat Rockies in wild 13-inning game

After a 51-minute rain delay, the Arizona Diamondbacks eventually went up against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Tuesday night.

It was a chilly one in Denver, as the D-backs beat the Rockies 10-8 in 13 innings in a game that started at the 39-degree mark and dropped to as low as 36.

Catcher Stephen Vogt knocked in the go-ahead run in the 13th. That was followed by a two-RBI double by Ketel Marte that scored Vogt and rookie Matt Peacock, who became the first pitcher since 1945 to make his MLB debut in extra innings while also recording his first career win and hit.

Ketel busts it open in the 13th! pic.twitter.com/gkt6GvyQCR

— Bally Sports Arizona (@BallySportSAZ) April 7, 2021

“Wow, what a great win. … It was such an incredible team effort,” manager Torey Lovullo said via Zoom postgame. “Guys were laying down for one another, sacrificing their at-bats, taking team at-bats, consistently staying engaged in anything they could possibly do to help us win a baseball game. When our backs were squarely up against the wall, we executed at a high level and made pitches and made plays.”

Luke Weaver made his season debut for the D-backs, allowing three runs on four hits and no walks over 5.2 innings of work to go along with three strikeouts on only 82 pitches (55 strikes).

Weaver was never in trouble on the basepaths, but he did struggle with the long ball in the thin Colorado air.

The Arizona starter allowed all his runs on three solo home runs. Two of those came in the second inning off Rockies Ryan McMahon and Dom Nunez, the former of which was on a 3-0 pitch. McMahon the best of Weaver again with a solo shot two innings later to extend the Colorado lead to 3-0.

“I think the reason why we won this game today — we gave up five home runs today but we didn’t have extra traffic on the basepaths,” Lovullo said. “That’s something that we talk about here. Don’t give them free passes, pick up the baseball — make plays. And if they drive the baseball out of the ballpark, make sure that the damage is limited.”

Weaver would settle down from there, however, retiring 12 of the last 13 batters he faced.

Lovullo called it a day for his starter when Charlie Blackmon came to the plate with no one on and two out in the bottom of the sixth. Preferring the lefty-on-lefty matchup, Alex Young came on to replace Weaver and struck out Blackmon.

The Diamondbacks didn’t do themselves any favors at the plate early on, either. In fact, just the second D-backs hit and first Arizona run on the night came from none other than a Weaver RBI single.

#PitchersWhoRake alert. @DreamWeava7 helping his own cause. pic.twitter.com/uNGjipkvIr

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) April 7, 2021

Rockies starting pitcher German Marquez came into the contest having walked six batters in four innings on Opening Day. Arizona was able to muster two free passes and helped keep the right-handers’ pitch count down through the first five innings.

But that’s when the Diamondbacks’ bats woke up.

In the top of the sixth, Marte reached on a leadoff single and was brought home on a two-run home run from Christian Walker to tie the game up at 3-3.

When it sounds like that, you know it's gone.@CWALK328 ties it up! pic.twitter.com/sVC4YevhYU

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) April 7, 2021

Marquez finished the game with three runs allowed on five hits and two walks to go along with five strikeouts over six innings pitched. He tossed a total of 91 pitches, 36 of which were for strikes.

After rookie shortstop Geraldo Perdomo got the first big league hit of his career, the D-backs took the lead on a two-run home run from catcher Vogt to give Arizona a 5-3 lead in the top of the seventh inning.

2️⃣1️⃣ savage@SVogt1229 for the lead! pic.twitter.com/nyJ0u2LLKH

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) April 7, 2021

In the bottom of the seventh, McMahon his third solo home run of the night — this time off Young — to cut the Arizona lead to 5-4.

The combination of Stefan Crichton (0.2 innings pitched) and Taylor Clarke (1.0) would preserve the D-backs’ lead into the ninth inning, the latter of which included getting Rockies Trevor Story and Blackmon out with the go-ahead run on base in the bottom of the eighth.

Clarke coming up huge tonight! pic.twitter.com/1RsWuKRY2p

— Bally Sports Arizona (@BallySportSAZ) April 7, 2021

But with one more out needed to secure the second win of the season for Arizona, Diamondbacks reliever Chris Devenski gave up the fifth solo home run by Colorado on the night to Sam Hilliard to tie the game at 5-5 in the bottom of the ninth.

With the extra-inning rule of having the last out from the previous inning starting as a runner on second base, the D-backs were instantly in business to begin extra innings.

After Eduardo Escobar got Walker to third via a deep fly ball to right field, Asdrubal Cabrera was able to get the Arizona first baseman in to score thanks to an error by Rockies first baseman C.J. Cron.

Oh CJ…

D-backs fans rejoice, you have the lead! pic.twitter.com/1ijHrLtUGf

— Bally Sports Arizona (@BallySportSAZ) April 7, 2021

Lovullo turned the ball over to Yoan Lopez as the D-backs went into the bottom of the 10th trying to preserve a 6-5 lead.

Unfortunately for Lopez, he allowed a leadoff double that scored the tying run before sending the game to the top of the 11th tied 6-6.

Peacock came on in the bottom half of the 11th. The 27-year-old rookie’s first Major League outing was a good one, as Peacock didn’t allow a hit or run and sent the game to the bottom of the 12th inning tied 6-6.

With two on and two out, Cabrera was clutch in extra innings — delivering with an RBI double to give the D-backs a 7-6 lead.

Asdrúbal does it again! 💪 pic.twitter.com/ZH6aUoFSCn

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) April 7, 2021

But in the bottom of the 12th frame, the Rockies would tie the game yet again. This time on an RBI sac-fly by Garrett Hampson.

Following a three-run top of the 13th, Peacock was able to secure the 10-8 victory for Arizona’s second win in a row.

“He walked right into a situation with an incredible heartbeat that we knew of and executed and that’s really what it came down to,” Lovullo said of Peacock. “He deserved it. He deserved everything that he got today. He’s been waiting for this opportunity for his whole career.

“And the way he went out there and attacked and made pitches, kept pitches on the infield when he needed to. It was an unbelievable night for Matt and I know he’s going to have a lot more solid nights for us.”

EXTRA BASES

Outfielder Tim Locastro was hit by a pitch (shocker!) for the 27th time in his career with the D-backs.

UP NEXT

The Diamondbacks will go at it again with the Rockies in Game 2 of the three-game set with a pitching matchup of Madison Bumgarner vs. Antonio Senzatela.

First pitch is slated for 5:40 p.m. Catch all the action on ESPN 620 AM.

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