ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

Goldschmidt homers in Diamondbacks loss to Rockies

Mar 27, 2016, 6:45 PM

Arizona Diamondbacks' Paul Goldschmidt, right, celebrates his home run with third base coach Matt W...

Arizona Diamondbacks' Paul Goldschmidt, right, celebrates his home run with third base coach Matt Williams. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

SCOTTSDALE — The spring hits just keep coming for Colorado’s Nolan Arenado and Arizona’s Jean Segura.

Both players went 2 for 3 as the Rockies beat a Diamondbacks split squad 8-6 in 10 innings Sunday.

Arenado raised his Cactus League average to .553. Segura, acquired by Arizona in an offseason trade with Milwaukee, is batting .529.

Segura isn’t getting carried away with the numbers.

“I don’t really put much pressure on myself because it’s spring training,” he said. “I’ve got to get ready for the regular season.”

Rafael Ynoa hit a three-run double for Colorado, and Diamondbacks slugger Paul Goldschmidt homered for the second consecutive day.

Ynoa’s big hit came during Colorado’s five-run third inning against Arizona starter Rubby De La Rosa. Goldschmidt had a two-run shot to center off Rockies starter Christian Bergman in the fifth.

De La Rosa, the No. 4 pitcher in the Diamondbacks’ rotation, gave up six runs and 11 hits in 5 2/3 innings. Bergman, who might open the season in the Rockies’ rotation because of Jon Gray’s abdominal injury, allowed five runs and eight hits in five innings.

Segura’s competition at shortstop, Nick Ahmed, had two hits and scored two runs, one of them to tie it at 6 in the ninth. Segura played second base and Ahmed shortstop on Sunday.

Chris Nelson tripled home two runs in the 10th for the Rockies. Colorado’s first-round draft pick in 2004, Nelson signed a minor league deal with the Rockies this offseason.

“That was really cool,” Colorado manager Walt Weiss said. “We go way back with Chris. I was there for his workout the day before the draft. It’s really good to see him here in the purple and black again. Yeah, it was awesome seeing him get that game-winner.”

Tony Wolters, competing for Colorado’s backup catcher job, doubled twice.

Earlier in the day, the Diamondbacks optioned left-handed reliever Matt Reynolds to Triple-A Reno.

STARTING TIME

Rockies: Bergman could remain in a long-relief role because of the off days early in Colorado’s schedule. He struck out four with no walks and said afterward he was trying to work on strategies he would use as a starter.

“It’s learning to do some different things the more times you go through the lineup,” Bergman said. “That’s one of my goals today was to work on some different sequences, different pitches and for the most part the sequences I think were effective. The results weren’t there, the results weren’t very good, but there were some positives to take from today.”

Diamondbacks: De La Rosa struck out three and walked one.

“Rubby was not very good today,” manager Chip Hale said. “We were disappointed. The contact was very hard against him. The best thing that happened was that he threw 94 pitches.”

FIELDING CHALLENGES

The Diamondbacks have moved Yasmany Tomas from right field to left and he had some problems out there on Sunday. Looking into the sun, Tomas dropped Arenado’s deep fly ball at the wall in the second inning. Although the play was ruled a double, the ball did hit Tomas right in the glove. The play cleared the way for Colorado’s five-run inning.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rockies: LHP Chris Rusin (finger injury) made his spring training debut Saturday, allowing one run on four hits in one inning. He is to pitch three more innings on Tuesday.

Diamondbacks: CF A.J. Pollock (elbow) played in a minor league game Friday and took live batting practice on Saturday.

UP NEXT

Rockies: RHP Jordan Lyles starts against Chicago White Sox LHP John Danks in Scottsdale on Monday.

Diamondbacks: RHP Kyle Drabek comes up from minor league camp to start against the Giants in Scottsdale on Monday. RHP Chris Heston goes for San Francisco. Arizona LHP Robbie Ray will pitch in a minor league game.

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