PHOENIX — The Rockies are quickly discovering that there is no rest for the hunted.
And the National League wild-card leaders are starting to wilt under the pressure.
They squandered an early 4-1 lead and lost 7-5 to the Diamondbacks on Friday night at Chase Field. The killer blow was a two-run double by Gerardo Parra in the seventh off reliever Matt Daley. Right fielder Brad Hawpe chased down the drive to the corner, but Hawpe couldn’t make the clutch catch, the ball bouncing off his glove.
Ryan Allen’s solo homer in the eighth off Matt Belisle added to the Rockies’ misery.
The Rockies staged a desperate rally in the ninth, scoring a run on Ian Stewart’s single up the middle. But with two men on, Arizona closer struck out pinch hitters Jason Giambi and Garrett Atkins, then got Carlos Gonzalez to foul out.
Worse than the failed rally, Todd Helton, sitting in the dugout, got drilled by a foul ball off Gonzalez’s bat. Helton quickly exited the dugout for the clubhouse.
The Rockies fell to 2-5 on this all-important road trip.
The same problems that have plagued the Rockies ever since they left the friendly confines of Coors Field early this month rose up to bite them again Friday night. Their offense went into hibernation and Jason Marquis failed to deliver.
The Rockies appeared to be in cruise control in the third when Troy Tulowtizki crushed a 3-1 changeup from Arizona starter Kevin Mulvey into the left-field seats for a two-run homer, his 28th of the season. The Rockies were up 4-1 and sitting pretty.
But that was their last hit of the night until Torrealba singled in the ninth. Indeed, the Rockies didn’t have a single baserunner in innings four through eight.
After a shaky start, Marquis appeared to find his rhythm, striking out five straight batters in the second and third innings.
But in the fourth, he committed the same sin that’s plagued him for the last month. Namely, he left juicy meatballs over the plate. Miguel Montero whistled a double to the left-field corner and scored on Ryan Roberts’ single to right, cutting Colorado’s lead to 4-2. Up stepped Brandon Allen, who gobbled up a hanging 3-2 slider, airmailing it 413 feet to right field to tie the game 4-4.
Marquis gave up four runs on six hits in six innings. Most disconcerting of all, he gave up a season-high five walks, testament to his lack of command. Marquis has only one victory in his last six starts.
In addition to Tulowitzki, Torrealba is the only Rockies hitter who has consistently produced on the road trip. Torrealba’s two-out, bases-loaded single up the gut gave the Rockies a 2-0 lead in the first.
Torrealba has emerged as the Rockies’ Mr. September, providing clutch hits while others such as Helton and Hawpe have slumped. Torrealba’s hitting an astounding .531 (17-for-32) with runners in scoring position this season.
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com
