Nuno’s strong outing squandered as Rockies shut out Diamondbacks: By The Numbers

Aug 31, 2014, 3:47 AM | Updated: 4:37 am
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Vidal Nuno has seemed to come around and feel comfortable in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ starting rotation. That rang true, more than ever, Saturday as he faced the Colorado Rockies.

Unfortunately, Arizona’s offense was incapable of giving the former New York Yankee some breathing room, as the Diamondbacks fell 2-0 to their division rival.

It was a pitchers’ duel as Colorado’s Tyler Matzek had a great start as well, going seven innings and allowing three walks and just three hits while striking out four.

Nuno had his longest start of the whole year — eight innings — but he took the loss as first baseman Matt McBride’s second-inning solo blast was the only run scored for much of the game. Right fielder Chris Blackmon later gave the Rockies (54-81) some cushion with a solo homer off Matt Stites into the Chase Field pool in the ninth inning.

Matzek moved to 4-9 in his rookie season, while Nuno fell to 0-4 since joining the Diamondbacks. Both pitchers threw 103 pitches, but Nuno tossed more strikes (76 to 64).

The two teams are at the bottom of the NL West, but Arizona (56-79) held on to a two-game lead with the loss.

Here’s a look at Saturday’s shutout by the numbers:

2

The Rockies scored the game’s only two runs, and both came via solo homers by McBride and Blackmon. Nolan Arenado recorded the team’s only other hit on the night.

4

Even though Matzek went seven scoreless innings, Colorado needed four relievers to finish out the final two frames. The Rockies used three in the eighth inning, as two D-backs batters got on base but were unable to score. LaTroy Hawkins came in in the ninth and struck out two while recording his 22nd save of the year.

5 (part I)

Despite being shut out, the Diamondbacks actually had more hits (5-3) than Colorado did on Saturday. Nolan Reimold recorded two hits for the D-backs, while Ender Inciarte, Pennington and David Peralta were the only other Arizona players to hit safely. Arizona left five runners in scoring position Saturday.

5 (part II)

Blackmon’s homer was the fifth Stites has allowed in this his rookie season. The 24-year-old did not strike out any batters while working the ninth inning, and his ERA nudged up to 4.91 after completing the frame.

7

The Diamondbacks were last shut out seven games ago on getaway day in Washington, which was a 1-0 Nationals victory. Arizona has now been blanked three times since the All-Star break.

13

Over their last 13 games, the Diamondbacks are just 3-10. The slide started Aug. 14 in Miami, when a 2-1 loss kicked off a six-game D-backs losing streak.

14

Catcher Miguel Montero has been struggling lately. He went 0-for-4 Saturday and is hitless in his last three games. He has gone without a hit in his last 14 at-bats, and his batting average is now .254.

20

Nuno struck out the last 20 batters he faced before being pulled after eight innings. Saturday was the third start in a row he went seven innings or more, and his ERA dropped to 3.23 with Arizona. The 27-year-old left-hander struck out seven and didn’t walk a single batter while allowing only two hits and one earned run in the loss.

27,272

More than 27,000 fans converged on Chase Field to see Saturday’s Rockies-Diamondbacks contest and the third annual Alumni Exhibition Game that followed. Several former D-backs such as Steve Finley, Luis Gonzalez, Brandon Webb, Mike Fetters, Erubiel Durazo and David Dellucci participated.

Arizona Diamondbacks' Ryan Roberts, front, slides safely across home 
plate as he scores on a single by Chris Young while Colorado Rockies 
catcher Ramon Hernandez looks on in the first inning of a baseball 
game in Denver on Saturday, April 14, 2012. (AP Photo/David 
Zalubowski) Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Josh Collmenter works against 
the Colorado Rockies in the first inning of a baseball game in Denver 
on Saturday, April 14, 2012. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) Colorado Rockies' Troy Tulowitzki, top, reacts to a called strike three 
as Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero heads back to the 
dugout to end the first inning of a baseball game in Denver, Saturday, 
April 14, 2012. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Jhoulys Chacin, left, confers with 
catcher Ramon Hernandez (55) after giving up an RBI-single to 
Arizona Diamondbacks' Chris Young in the first inning of a baseball 
game in Denver, Saturday, April 14, 2012. (AP Photo/David 
Zalubowski) Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Jhoulys Chacin works against the 
Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning of a baseball game in 
Denver, Saturday, April 14, 2012. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) A field guard helps pull the tarpaulin after umpires called a delay for 
rain after the fourth inning of a baseball game betwen the Arizona 
Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies in Denver, Saturday, April 14, 
2012. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero, front, fields the throw 
from the outfield as Colorado Rockies' Dexter Fowler scores on a 
single by Michael Cuddyer in the third inning of a baseball game in 
Denver, Saturday, April 14, 2012. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Ryan Roberts, center, fields a 
throw from the outfield as Colorado Rockies' Jordan Pacheco, right, 
slides safely into third base with a triple in the fourth inning of a 
baseball game in Denver, Saturday, April 14, 2012. Rockies third base 
coach Rich Dauer, left, looks on. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) Field crew workers spread a drying agent on the diamond between 
stanzas in the fourth inning of the baseball game between the Arizona 
Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies in Denver, Saturday, April 14, 
2012. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) Colorado Rockies' Todd Helton, center, jumps into arms of his 
teammates as Helton crosses home plate after hiting a two-run, 
walkoff home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the ninth 
inning to give the Rockies' 8-7 victory in a baseball game in Denver on 
Saturday, April 14, 2012. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) Colorado Rockies catcher Ramon Hernandez, front, joins his 
teammates at home plate to welcome home Todd Helton after he hit a 
two-run, walkof home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 
ninth inning of the Rockies' 8-7 victory in a baseball game in Denver 
on Saturday, April 14, 2012. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) Colorado Rockies' Todd Helton follows the flight of his two-run, 
walkoff home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the ninth 
inning of the Rockies' 8-7 victory in a baseball game in Denver on 
Saturday, April 14, 2012. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) Colorado Rockies' Todd Helton celebrates as he circles the bases after 
hitting a two-run, walkoff home run against the Arizona 
Diamondbacks in the ninth inning of the Rockies' 8-7 victory in a 
baseball game in Denver on Saturday, April 14, 2012. (AP Photo/David 
Zalubowski) Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher J.J. Putz casts a glance over his 
shoulder as he walks of the mound after giving up a two-run, walkoff 
home run to Colorado Rockies' Todd Helton in the ninth inning of the 
Rockies' 8-7 victory in a baseball game in Denver on Saturday, April 
14, 2012. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

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Nuno’s strong outing squandered as Rockies shut out Diamondbacks: By The Numbers