Diamondbacks score winning runs on back-to-back wild pitches vs. Rockies

PHOENIX — Arizona Diamondbacks base runners Corbin Carroll and Kevin Newman did not hesitate to score the game-tying and go-ahead runs on consecutive wild pitches in Monday’s 5-4 comeback victory over the Colorado Rockies.

Colorado brought in reliever Tyler Kinley with two outs to face Joc Pederson with runners on the corners after Carroll and Newman singled. Kinley spiked a slider past catcher Elias Diaz to score Carroll easily. Newman — who was running on the pitch — got all the way to third.

Kinley reset and tried another slider, which kicked away from Diaz again. This time the ball did not get far, but Newman was already way down the line and made a perfect read.

CREATING CHAOS. pic.twitter.com/LvprfCTrHD

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) August 13, 2024

“Just kind of reading the down angle, and I’m so far off the bag because they gave me a lot of room over there. Just reading the trajectory of the ball and seeing it come up short and anticipating it kicking away like that,” Newman explained. “It worked out. … You kind of just get as much as you think you can without getting back picked.”

Newman was only in the game as a replacement for Ketel Marte, who left after re-aggravating an ankle injury in the first inning and will have an MRI on Tuesday. Newman finished with two hits and two runs after a three-hit night on Sunday.

Manager Torey Lovullo credited his team’s readiness in a game when not a lot went their way until the sixth inning.

“You talk about adaptability and readiness, (Newman) made the most of his opportunity today,” Lovullo said.

The Rockies entered the game with the second-most wild pitches in MLB at 48 and highest bullpen ERA at 5.64. The D-backs, meanwhile, lead the league in bases taken (fly balls, wild pitches, passed balls, balks and defensive indifference).

Brandon Pfaadt strikes out 11

D-backs starter Brandon Pfaadt pushed through seven innings and struck out 11 hitters to match a career high. The right-hander did not walk anyone, but he acknowledged being in the strike zone perhaps too often.

Pfaadt threw 73 of 94 pitches as strikes, with not an insubstantial number being middle-middle. The Rockies racked up four runs off eight hits against him, three knocks courtesy of Jake Cave plus a solo home run by Brendan Rodgers.

As Arizona’s offense climbed back in with two runs in the sixth inning, though, Pfaadt responded with an easy 1-2-3 frame in the seventh. Lovullo singled that moment out as the key to the comeback.

Brandon Pfaadt’s 10th and 11th Ks. pic.twitter.com/ib3wdIACrh

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 13, 2024

“Stuff feels good lately, I think it’s been consistent. We’re still using that aggressive mentality, and I think we did that tonight almost to a fault,” Pfaadt said. “Gave them too much to hit at times, but honestly, I would like it to be that case rather than walking guys. I think we’ll stick to that game plan. I think it’ll work out to our favor.”

Ryan Thompson and Justin Martinez locked down the final two innings without a single base runner getting into scoring position.

Martinez has picked up Arizona’s last three saves, but Lovullo said it was premature to call him the closer at this point, even with a light show.

Jake McCarthy keeps driving in runs

Arizona saw a new face in Colorado starter Bradley Blalock, who made his first MLB start. He retired 13 of 14 batters at one point before the D-backs started to rally in the sixth. Newman singled, and Josh Bell and Jake McCarthy followed with RBI knocks.

McCarthy drove in multiple runs for the fourth time in his last five games, tallying 13 RBIs in that span.

The last Diamondbacks player with as many RBIs in a five-game stretch was Justin Upton back in 2o11, according to Stathead. Erubiel Durazo, Luis Gonzalez, Steve Finley and Matt Williams are the only other players in franchise history to accomplish the feat.

The Diamondbacks won their fourth straight game after taking three of four against the Philadelphia Phillies over the weekend.

They kept pace at 3.5 games back in the division race, as the Los Angeles Dodgers won their fourth straight game on Monday, as well.

Eduardo Rodriguez at Chase Field

Fans will get to see Eduardo Rodriguez make his Chase Field debut for the Diamondbacks on Tuesday at 6:40 p.m. Left-hander Austin Gomber is probable for Colorado.

Catch the action on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app. 

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