The Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the Colorado Rockies Monday night at Chase Field 5-3 in the first game of a three-game set.
Ahead are takeaways from the loss.
Davis implodes again
Wade Davis’ struggles continued in Arizona Monday night.
After Tony Wolters tied the game in the top of the eighth inning, Manager Bud Black opted to roll with Davis out of the bullpen to preserve a 2-2 game.
Davis crumbled instantly by allowing a solo home run to Carson Kelly on the second pitch of his outing.
Davis’ latest blunder comes after he nearly cost the Rockies the game Sunday afternoon in Colorado.
Colorado entered the top of the ninth inning riding a 4-3 lead versus the Miami Marlins. Davis proceeded to implode on the mound, allowing the fish to tie the game rather quickly. Thankfully, Garrett Hampson bailed Davis out by hitting a walk-off base hit in the 10th inning.
While Davis has been putrid all season, he had been successful on the road, owning a sub-one earned run average away from Coors Field entering Monday’s game.
Wolters comes up clutch in the eighth
Tony Wolters was the lone source of run production for Colorado Monday night.
Wolters forced home the first Rockies’ run of the game in the fourth inning where he worked a walk with the bases loaded.
With the Rockies down 2-1 in the eighth inning, Wolters came to bat with runners on the corners. After running up the count to 1-2, Wolters slapped a single to right field, scoring a run to tie the game at two runs apiece.
Wolters has put together a solid season at the dish, batting .281 with 30 RBIs.
Additionally, Wolters committed his first error behind the plate of 2019 in the bottom half of the eighth inning. Wolters had been the only qualifying catcher in the Major Leagues to have not committed an error (690 chances) to that point.
Dbacks snap Rox win streak
Arizona ended the Rockies win streak at four games.
The Rockies lost their last series against Arizona. That said, Colorado emerged victorious in the final game of their latest three-game set with Nolan Arenado blasting his third career walk-off home run to kick off the four-game streak.
The two clubs have battled throughout the past few seasons.
Arizona dominated the Rockies from June 21, 2017 through March 30, 2018, posting an 11-3 record in that span. However, the Rockies have changed their fortunes versus Arizona as of late. Colorado is 19-10 against Arizona since July 11 of last year.
Colorado wrapped up the first half of the season in the valley of the sun where they were swept entering the All-Star break, a series that proved to be pivotal in the clubs downfall this season.
The Rockies have won nine of the past 14 in Phoenix, but the Diamondbacks have proved to be a tough opponent recently. Following Monday’s game, the Rockies are 9-8 against the Diamondbacks this season.
Longball blemishes Gonzalez’ outing
Chi Chi Gonzalez has become a consistent figure within the Rockies’ starting rotation since Colorado added him to the roster midseason.
Colorado signed Gonzalez to a minor league deal to add depth to their pitching corps. Gonzalez spent a majority of the season down in Triple-A with the Albuquerque Isotopes. The 27-year-old posted a 5.66 earned run average in 14 starts this season in the minor leagues.
Gonzalez has not won a game at the big league level since 2015.
He cruised through the early portion of the game. Although Gonzalez did not strike out a bevy of batters, he kept Arizonas off-balance the first couple of time through the lineup.
Gonzalez hurled five no-hit innings before surrendering his first base knock in the sixth inning, a single from Carson Kelly. The journeyman managed to record back-to-back outs, but Ketel Marte ensured the Diamondbacks would not end the inning empty-handed when he crushed a two-run home run to right-center field.
The home run pushed Arizona ahead 2-1.
Despite the home run, Gonzalez trotted back out to the mound for the seventh inning. David Peralta started the frame by ripping a double down the line in left field. The leadoff hit forced the hand of Rockies’ skipper Bud Black who proceeded to yank Gonzalez from the ballgame.
Gonzalez departed with a line of six innings pitched, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out a pair of batters.