Arizona Diamondbacks fall flat in series finale loss to Colorado Rockies

After kicking off their series with the Colorado Rockies on a positive note, the Arizona Diamondbacks head back to Phoenix in need of a serious pick-me-up.

The D-backs were on the losing end of Thursday’s matchup in Colorado, falling 7-3 to the Rockies.

Arizona was outscored 15-1 in the last two games of the series and now sits at 2-5 on the year.

Starting pitcher Merrill Kelly had little time to settle in against a Rockies offense that scored at least seven runs in every game of the series. After giving up back-to-back singles to start, Kelly was dinged for his first run of the game thanks to a Trevor Story RBI double.

Four pitches later, the Rockies added to their lead with two-run single courtesy Charlie Blackmon. Kelly would allow his fifth hit before getting out of the inning.

Kelly would get hit with another run in the second after a Story RBI triple.

“I thought Merrill had that bumpy start, had a chance to pitch deep into the game, but I felt like those early runs and then potentially a mistake out in the field cost us a couple runs,” skipper Torey Lovullo said after the game.

“Those are the little things we do so well here, but overall I feel like we’ve got to do everything better. We’ve got hit better, we’ve got to filed the baseball better and we got to pitch better. We will. Tomorrow’s a new day, we’re coming home. We’re all excited about that.”

The next three innings that followed, however, were night-and-day from his first two, with Kelly retiring nine consecutive batters on 33 pitches.

The starter crashed back down to earth in the sixth inning as the Rockies’ Dom Nunez blew the doors off the game with a three-run homer.

“Nothing concerning, I think it was just kind of a day-game downer,” Kelly said. “Just took me a little bit to get going there in the first couple innings as far as body-wise and how I felt. And then after that second inning, kinda woke up a little bit and everything kinda ticked up, the life came back. But nothing concerning, everything feels fine and going forward I don’t see it being a problem.”

Kelly would get out of the inning before being pulled after 6.0 innings of work. He allowed seven runs (six earned) on nine hits and struck out one.

“It was a grinder of a day for sure. I was happy I was able to give us six [innings],” Kelly added. “With the way the first couple innings were going it could have went south really fast, so I was proud of myself for being able to battle and getting through the six.

“Missed with that one pitch in the sixth inning, I wish I had that one back, but other than those first couple innings and that one pitch, not a bad game. Definitely was more of a struggle than I would have liked it to be. … Just got to make better pitches when it comes down to it.”

While Kelly was hot and cold throughout his performance, Arizona’s bats fell silent for the majority the afternoon.

Rockies starter Jon Gray turned in his best performance of the season Thursday, allowing just three D-backs walks through six innings of work. He gave up just one earned run off of a Pavin Smith RBI single in the seventh on the way to his first victory of 2021.

Smith would find success in the ninth as well, adding a double to the stat sheet before an Eduardo Escobar two-run homer trimmed Colorado’s lead to 7-3. Unfortunately for the D-backs, the late rally didn’t have quite the legs for a ninth-inning comeback.

“I think they obviously jumped on us and scored those early runs,” Lovullo said. “We didn’t play the type of game from that point forward that I expected us to. … their pitcher did a good job but I feel like our guys are better and they can get the job done.

“It was nice to see us get some momentum … in the ninth inning. Had some quality at-bats. Those are the things that I’ve come to expect form this group. Just got to get it done offensively. That’s the bottom line.”

The D-backs will look to bounce back Friday in their home opener against the Cincinnati Reds.

Tune to 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station at 6:40 p.m. for all the action.

BASE HITS

– Lovullo on placing outfielder Ketel Marte on the 10-day injured list due to a right hamstring strain:

“The discomfort continued to be there. We ask our athletes to share the most information in all the feelings that they’re having and he clearly did that. It was evaluated by the Rockies’ team doctor. At that point, it was recommended that we put him on the IL. Wasn’t progressing the way we wanted to. I felt like we could get him back home originally to get him in front of our doctors, but we felt like it was important for him to be seen as soon as possible. So at that point, we pivoted and put him on the IL and activated [Andrew Young].”

Follow @Tdrake4sports