Even four-run lead not enough

Thirteen pitches.

That’s all it took for Arizona to overcome the Rockies’ 6-3 lead and ultimately convert it into an 8-6 victory Monday night at Coors Field. Needless to say, the 32,160 fans who turned out were not a very happy group.

The Rockies were, by the way, attempting to win back-to-back games for the first time since July 25-26 at Washington and Cincinnati.

Trouble began when lefty Jake McGee relieved starter Peter Lambert to begin the sixth inning and promptly gave up a solo home run to Jake Lamb, a single to Josh Rojas (the first hit of his bigleague career) and a two-run homer to Nick Ahmed. A thunderstorm of boos greeted McGee as he left the mound.

He was replaced by Chad Bettis, who gave up a solo homer to Carson Kelly on a 1-1, 74 mph curveball.

Arizona extended its lead to 8-6 in the seventh inning off hardthrowing right-hander Jairo Diaz. Rojas hit a two-out RBI single to drive in Christian Walker, who singled and took second on a passed ball charged to catcher Tony Wolters.

Colorado relievers, dealing with a ballpark that is playing as if it were the pre-humidor days, own a 6.24 ERA at Coors Field, and the starters’ have a 6.73 ERA. Little wonder the Rockies’ home record is just one game over .500 (29-28).

In contrast to the Rockies, four Arizona relievers combined to throw four shutout innings Monday night.

Lambert gave up three runs on four hits and five walks (one intentional) over five innings. He looked terrific in the first two innings before he started wobbling. Arizona scratched out a run in the third inning on Ketel Marte’s twoout RBI single.

The fourth inning was a mess. Lambert packed the bases with consecutive walks to Eduardo Escobar, Christian Walker and Lamb. But Lambert threw an excellent change-up to Rojas to induce a 1-2-3 double play. But that good came undone when Ahmed ripped a two-run double over the head of center fielder Raimel Tapia.

Still, Lambert left with a 5-3 lead, one that grew to 6-3 on Ryan McMahon’s solo homer to lead off the bottom of the fifth.

Colorado jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first, sending nine men to the plate against D-backs starter Merrill Kelly. Tapia and Wolters both delivered two-out, tworun singles.

Trevor Story doubled and scored in the first inning, added a double in the second and hit a solo blast in the fourth for his teamleading 27th home run.

Story had a career-high-tying three extra-base hits, the fifth time he has accomplished that in his career (and third time this season).