Grit Index: Surging offense picks up D-backs, Corbin in win over Rockies
Sep 23, 2013, 12:51 AM | Updated: 12:51 am
Arizona Diamondbacks’ ace Patrick Corbin didn’t have a strong start, but the team’s bats came up big in a 13-9 slugfest against the Colorado Rockies Sunday afternoon.
The Diamondbacks took two road wins out of the three-game series at Coors Field. The team’s offense gave its starting pitcher a 7-0 leading heading into the bottom of the third, in which Corbin gave up one run. He gave up another run in the fourth and was replaced by Will Harris (who recorded the win) in the fifth after giving up two more runs. The D-backs’ ace gave up 10 hits and two walks on the day.
Rockies starter Juan Nicasio gave up seven hits and seven earned runs in just 2.1 innings of work.
Both team exploded in the ninth inning, with Arizona scoring five runs — highlighted by Matt Davidson’s three-run homer off Chad Bettis — and Colorado putting up four.
Davidson knocked in four runs on the day, and four Arizona batters had three hits: Adam Eaton, A.J. Pollock, Aaron Hill and Gerardo Parra. The team had eight extra-base hits during the contest, compared to the Rockies’ four. Both teams recorded 19 hits apiece.
The Good:
Paul Goldschmidt extended his National League-leading RBI total to 123 with a double in the third inning. It was his only hit of the day.
Every starting positional player had at least one hit Sunday, and six of them had at least two.
The D-backs won a road series for the first time since Aug. 16-18 against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Bad:
For the second consecutive outing, D-backs left-hander Patrick Corbin couldn’t make it through five innings of work. The 24-year-old allowed four runs on 10 hits in 4.1 innings of work.
In the month of September, Corbin has given up 19 runs in 25.2 innings of work.
Josh Collmenter yielded a season-high four runs in the ninth inning.
David Hernandez gave up his first earned run after throwing nine straight scoreless appearances since being called up back on Sept. 1.
Noted:
– Goldschmidt has an RBI in seven of his last eight games.
– Parra has reached safely in 19 of his last 22 games.
– With the win Sunday, Harris got his first victory against the team that drafted him back in 2006.
– The 20 runs the D-backs combined to score Saturday and Sunday were the most they’ve scored in back-to-back games since the start of the second half.
– In his final game vs. Arizona, Colorado first baseman Todd Helton recorded the 1,400 RBI and 1,400 run of his career.
Up Next:
The D-backs open their final road series of the year Monday against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Right-hander Brandon McCarthy (5-9, 4.57 ERA) will take the mound for the D-backs. He’ll face left-hander Eric Stults (9-13, 4.02 ERA), who allowed five earned runs in his last start against Arizona. First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. MST and can be heard on Arizona Sports 620 AM.
