ARENADO’S HOMER DEFEATS D-BACKS
PHOENIX» In one of the Rockies’ biggest games of the season, Nolan Arenado put on star-spangled show Monday night at Chase Field.
Kicking off a four-game series against Arizona with wild-card playoff ramifications, the all-star third baseman crushed a threerun, go-ahead homer in the eighth inning off reliever Jake Barrett to lead Colorado to a 5-4 victory. It was the Rockies’ fifth consecutive victory and came after an impressive four-game sweep at Los Angeles against the Dodgers.
Monday’s victory did not come without plenty of September anxiety. Arizona roared back in the bottom of the eighth to score two runs, one off reliever Jake McGee and one off Pat Neshek. Lefthander Mike Dunn squelched the rally, but not before former Rockie Daniel Descalso just missed hitting a three-run homer down the right-field line and then hit a drive to deep center, where Charlie Blackmon hauled it in for the third out.
Arizona had runners on second and third in the ninth, but Greg Holland closed out the game by getting A.J. Pollack to ground out to shortstop Trevor Story. Holland struggled but notched his 40th save.
Arenado finished with four RBIs, making it clear he intends to be a force in September.
It wasn’t just Arenado who contributed to the Rockies’ seventh consecutive win on the road. Their pitchers went toe-to-toe with Diamondbacks ace Zack Greinke, who pitched seven innings of five-hit ball, giving up just two runs. He was matched by left-hander Tyler Anderson, who came on in emergency relief of injured starter Kyle Freeland and kept Colorado in the game with a strong four innings.
Even before the huge home run to left-center fielder in the eighth, Arenado, Colorado’s four-time Gold Glove third baseman and reigning major-league RBI king, did his thing.
He tied the game 2-2 in the sixth with his two-out, RBI double to right-center off Greinke, scoring DJ LeMahieu, who had a one-out double to left off a Greinke breaking ball.
Arenado’s first encore performance came in bottom of the sixth. Pollack ripped a ball down the third-base line, but Arenado made a diving stop, got back on his feet and threw a one-hop strike to first baseman Mark Reynolds to nip Pollack by a half step. A fired-up Arenado pounded his glove in jubilation.
The National League wild-card race remains tight, but the Rockies gained a little ground. Pittsburgh beat Milwaukee 7-0 on Monday, leaving the Brewers four games behind Colorado for the second wild-card spot. St. Louis, which did not play Monday, is 3K games behind the Rockies.
Colorado moved to within four games of the Diamondbacks for the top wild-card spot.
A scary moment arrived in the fourth inning with the game tied 1-1. Arizona’s J.D. Martinez led off with a 114.8 mph liner that hit Freeland in his left shoulder. The Rockies later announced he had a shoulder contusion.
Martinez reached first with an infield base hit.
After a consultation with head trainer Keith Dugger and manager Bud Black, Freeland left the game under his own power.
Freeland pitched three-plus innings and was charged with two runs on three hits and four walks (one intentional).
He was replaced by Anderson, who last pitched in a big-league game June 25, before he underwent surgery on his left knee. Martinez took second on Anderson’s wild pitch, stole third base and scored on a sacrifice by by Adam Rosales to put the Diamondbacks ahead 2-1.
Anderson gave the Rockies everything they could have wanted. He gave up just one hit in his four innings and struck out four.
The Diamondbacks struck first. Martinez hit a one-out double off Freeland in the second inning and scored off Greinke’s infield single that glanced off Freeland’s glove.