SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Ian Desmond hit his first home run of spring and the Rockies received an encouraging two-inning start from Jon Gray, but lost 4-3 to Seattle in front of a sellout crowd of 11,148 on Saturday.
The Mariners won the game in the ninth on a Zach Shank single that drove in pinch runner Ian Miller. Miller was running for Tyler Marlette, who opened the inning with a line-drive double off Colorado reliever Matt Carasiti.
For starters: Gray’s wipeout slider was missing from action Saturday, so why was the big right-hander all smiles after his two innings of work? Mostly because he used a pitch he calls his “power curve” to strike out Jean Segura in the first inning.
“It’s good stuff,” Gray said. “I know that last year, going out on a day like today without my slider, it would have been a completely different story.”
In Gray’s two innings, his only big mistake was leaving a fastball on the inside of the plate to the Mariners’ Mike Zunino, who crushed the pitch onto the berm behind the left-center field fence for a solo homer.
“I’m very excited about the curveball,” Gray said. “I feel like I can throw it for a strike whenever I need to. Today I could use it as an out pitch.”
Gray anticipates he will pitch at least three innings and about 45 pitches in his next start.
ᾱٲ:Desmond made a nifty scoop at first base to complete a double play in the second inning. … Mark Reynolds continued to hit the ball with authority, drilling a double to left in the first inning. Though he’s in camp on a minor-league deal, he seems certain to make the 25-man roster. … Lefty pitching prospect Sam Howard pitched two scoreless innings, striking out two.. Outfielder Raimel Tapia, whose chances of breaking camp with the team have improved because of David Dah’s back injury, continues to make things happen. In the eighth, he singled, stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Stephen Cardullo, tying the game 3-3.
Misses: The Rockies squandered a chance to score the tying run in seventh because of a baserunning mistake by Jordan Patterson. He led off with a double and then advanced to third base, but then broke for the plate on Michael Tauchman’s sharp come-backer to pitcher Chris Heston. Heston chased Patterson down and tagged him out. Patterson should have found a way to extend the rundown, because Tauchman got caught in a rundown between first and second and was tagged out for an inning-ending double play. .
Up next: The Rockies (5-4) travel to Maryvale to play the Brewers (3-5) at 1:05 p.m. Sunday at Maryvale Baseball Park.
Rockies probables: RHP Chad Bettis, LHP Kyle Freeland, RHP Ryan Castellani, RHP Chad Qualls, RHP Jason Motte, RHP Carlos Estevez.
Brewers probables: LHP Tommy Milone, RHP Chase Anderson, RHP Hiram Burgos, RHP Jhan Martinez, RHP Tyler Cravy.
