Rockies at Diamondbacks
Struggling right-hander Shelby Miller feels as if he took a step in the right direction his last time out, even if his final line was not pretty. Miller will try to build off that outing when he leads the host Arizona Diamondbacks into the finale of their three-game series with the Colorado Rockies on Sunday.
Acquired in the offseason to help fortify the Diamondbacks' rotation, Miller has been a disappointment thus far, but worked four scoreless innings Tuesday against St. Louis before giving up five runs in the fifth and eventually falling to 0-2. "I feel like we're headed in the right direction, sure," Miller told reporters. "At the end of the day, you give up five runs in five innings. That's how I look at it. The first four innings were good." Miller opened the season allowing six runs in six innings against Colorado, which has taken the first two games of this set by a combined 14-2 margin. Rockies rookie Trevor Story is 4-for-9 with a home run, a triple and a double in those two wins and collected three RBIs in Saturday's 5-2 victory.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Colorado), FSN Arizona
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Chad Bettis (2-1, 3.77 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks RH Shelby Miller (0-2, 8.69)
Bettis is 2-1 with a 2.81 ERA over his last four starts and has lasted at least six innings each time. Before that stretch began, he opened the season with a rocky effort opposite Miller on April 5, allowing five runs on seven hits - two homers - in 5 1/3 frames. That outing left the Texas Tech product with a 7.32 ERA in six career games (three starts) versus the Diamondbacks.
Miller's biggest issue has been his control, as the former first-round pick has issued 15 walks in 19 2/3 innings. He has allowed 15 runs in 16 frames at Chase Field, serving up six home runs in the process - including three against the Rockies in his 2016 debut. Nick Hundley and DJ LeMahieu hit two of those homers and are a combined 9-for-20 with six RBIs versus Miller.
WALK-OFFS
1. Arizona LF Brandon Drury has belted three home runs in a span of four games.
2. Rockies CF Charlie Blackmon is 4-for-9 with three runs scored in two contests since coming off the disabled list.
3. Diamondbacks RHP Brad Ziegler took the loss Saturday after giving up three runs in one-third of an inning in the ninth, but he has converted a franchise-record 33 straight save opportunities.