Rockies, Freeland shut down Diamondbacks
PHOENIX -- Kyle Freeland shut down Arizona's potent attack Friday night as the Colorado Rockies edged the Diamondbacks 3-1.
Freeland gave up just one run and six hits in six innings. He walked two and struck out two.
By winning, the Rockies (15-9) moved back into first place in the NL West, a half-game ahead of the D-backs (15-10).
For the Diamondbacks, Robbie Ray also was effective, allowing three runs and five hits. Ray struck out nine and walked three.
The Rockies' Trevor Story hit a solo homer, his fifth homer of the season, off Ray.
Greg Holland pitched a scoreless ninth inning to get his 10th save.
The Rockies added an insurance run in the seventh when Pat Valaika walked and was sacrificed to second by Dustin Garneau. Pinch hitter DJ LeMahieu flew out to center, advancing Valaika to third. Charlie Blackmon's line-drive single to left scored the run.
The Rockies opened the scoring in the top of the first when Nolan Arenado doubled and scored on a seeing-eye single up the middle by Carlos Gonzalez.
They added a run in the third on Story's homer.
The D-backs cut the Rockies' lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the third when A.J. Pollock beat out an infield hit, Chris Owings walked and Paul Goldschmidt singled up the middle.
In the fifth, Ray singled, then Story made a great stop up the middle at shortstop to take a hit away from Pollock and force Ray at second.
After Owings singled to center, Pollock and Owings executed a double steal. But Freeland got Goldschmidt to pop up and Yasmany Tomas to ground out to end the threat.
NOTES: Rockies RHP Chad Bettis, who is living in the Phoenix area while undergoing chemotherapy treatments for testicular cancer, is watching the games from the Rockies' dugout this weekend. He has watched every game on TV so far. He has seven more treatments scheduled, ending May 16; he hopes to pitch for the club sometime this season.... Rockies 1B Ian Desmond played left field and hit a homer in an extended spring training game in Scottsdale, Ariz., Friday. Hs return seems imminent, as he likely will report directly to the Rockies instead of going on a rehab assignment, manager Bud Black said. Desmond will play first base in another extended spring game Saturday...The Diamondbacks went 10-9 vs. the Rockies last season, including 4-5 in Phoenix...The Diamondbacks have recorded 11-plus strikeouts in a franchise best five straight games...LHP T.J. McFarland made his first appearance for the D-backs, pitching a scoreless eighth inning.