Rockies Outpitched by Diamondbacks

Kris Bryant of the Rockies batting against the Diamondbacks in a spring training game

Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images

March 20, 2024

Diamondbacks 5, Rockies 1

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (Mar. 20) — The Arizona Diamondbacks held the Colorado Rockies to three hits in a 5–1 Cactus League victory Wednesday afternoon at Salt River Fields.

Rockies – Diamondbacks Game Summary

The Diamondbacks did not notch a baserunner until the bottom of the third, when Emmanuel Rivera walked with one out. Two batters later, and with two outs, Corbin Carroll hit a soft bouncer to the pitcher’s right. Rockies second baseman Brendan Rodgers charged hard, but with Carroll’s speed, had no chance to retire him. Ketel Marte did not let the RBI opportunity go to waste, driving in Rivera with a sharp single to right-center for a 1–0 lead.

It became a 2–0 game when Christian Walker led off the bottom of the fourth with a homer to left and a 3–0 game thanks to a Gabi Moreno single and Rivera triple later in the inning. In the bottom of the sixth, Eugenio Suarez extended the Diamondbacks lead to 4–0 with a blast to the berm in right-center off reliever John Curtiss.

The Rockies avoided the shutout in the top of the seventh thanks to a Brendan Rodgers double combined with a wild pitch and a Ryan McMahon grounder to first. In the bottom half, the Diamondbacks got that run back after drawing four straight two-out walks, making the score 5–1.

What Went Right for the Rockies

Rodgers Extends Hit Streak

Brendan Rodgers, with his seventh-inning double, has now hit safely in eight straight games. Additionally, he has hit safely in 12 of the 14 games he’s played in this spring. Overall in the spring, he is batting .395 (15-for-38) with three doubles and six RBI.

Strong Defense

The Rockies made some key plays to keep the score differential from being worse. In the seventh inning, Evan Justice picked Jace Peterson off. Rodgers also made a slick defensive play up the middle, robbing Elvis Andrus of a hit while recording the final out of the sixth.

What Went Wrong for the Rockies

Punchless Offense

The Rockies did not manage a hit until the fifth, when Ryan McMahon and Elias Diaz led off with back-to-back singles. Their third hit was the Rodgers double in the seventh. Prior to the fifth inning, their only baserunners came in the first inning, when Charlie Blackmon reached on a rare Christian Walker error and Nolan Jones drew a two-out walk. In total, they had three hits and five baserunners, with one coming on the error. “Those guys outpitched us today,” Rockies manager Bud Black frankly said of the Diamondbacks.

Reliever Walks

Evan Justice faced five batters, hitting one and walking three. One of the outs he recorded was a strikeout, and the other was a pickoff. Of the 26 pitches he threw, eight were strikes. When he left the game, the bases were loaded. Matt Koch came in and walked in one of those runs.

“There’s concern for sure,” Black said of Justice’s control struggles. “We’re hoping for Evan to be a guy, as his career unfolds here—he doesn’t have a lot of professional innings. A little bit of the bugaboo for him has been the base on balls. So that’s his challenge. We like the arm, there’s some deception to the delivery. But today, the history of the bases on balls showed up. And he’ll be the first to tell you that it can’t show up. He’s trying really, really hard to limit his walks and get the ball in the strike zone. But today was a rough day for Evan.”

Looking Ahead

The Diamondbacks are off Thursday, while the Rockies will host the Chicago Cubs Thursday at Salt River Fields. Rockies right-hander Ryan Felter will start against Cubs left-hander Drew Smyly. First pitch will be at 1:10 pm Arizona Time/2:10 pm Mountain Daylight Time.

On Friday, the Diamondbacks will host the Seattle Mariners. Right-hander Ryne Nelson will take the mound for the Diamondbacks. The Mariners had yet to name a starter at press time. First pitch at Salt River Fields will be at 1:10 pm Arizona Time.