Rockies at Diamondbacks
Time is not on the side of the Arizona Diamondbacks, but they have not
yet given up hope for a postseason berth. Arizona looks to keep its slim
playoff chances alive Sunday, when it hosts the Colorado Rockies in the rubber match of their three-game series. The Diamondbacks evened the set Saturday
with a convincing 9-2 triumph which kept them nine games behind the
Cincinnati Reds for the second National League wild-card spot with 15
contests remaining in the regular season.
Gerardo Parra and Aaron
Hill drove in three runs apiece and Wade Miley pitched 6 1/3 solid
innings while adding two hits and an RBI as Arizona improved to 5-8 this
month. Miguel Montero feasted on Colorado pitching over the first two
games, going 6-for-8 with a three-run homer and three runs scored. The
Rockies are 2-6 on their nine-game road trip and have lost eight of
their last 11 overall contests.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Colorado), FSN (Arizona)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Jhoulys Chacin (13-8, 3.09 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks RH Randall Delgado (4-6, 4.04)
Chacin dominated San Francisco for the second time in his last three starts Monday
but settled for a no-decision despite allowing just one run and four
hits in seven innings. The 25-year-old Venezuelan has yielded more than
three runs only twice in his last 17 outings, going 10-5 with a 2.24 ERA
in that span. Chacin is 4-2 with a 2.67 ERA in 12 career games - 11
starts - against Arizona.
Delgado's winless streak reached seven starts Monday,
when he surrendered five runs - four homers - over 2 2/3 innings at Los
Angeles. The 23-year-old Panamanian has had trouble keeping the ball in
the park of late, serving up 13 blasts in his last eight outings.
Delgado, who has not won since Aug. 2 at Boston, never has faced the Rockies in his career.
WALK-OFFS
1. Colorado RF Michael Cuddyer went 0-for-4 on Saturday but remains the NL's leading hitter with a .332 average.
2.
The Diamondbacks are 9-6 in the season series, with Sunday's contest
and a three-game set in Colorado next weekend still remaining.
3. Rockies 2B DJ LeMahieu extended his career-best hitting streak to 14 games Saturday with a first-inning single.