On multiple occasions, it seemed the Rockies’ offense had done its job in initiating a comeback during their wild-card bout against Arizona on Wednesday night.
First, five hits in the top of the fourth inning turned an early 6-0 Arizona lead into a competitive, 6-4 game as Colorado chased Arizona starter Zack Greinke. Then, in the eighth inning, back-to-back homers by and morphed an 8-5 Arizona lead into an 8-7 thriller worthy of the Rocktober label.
Each time the Rockies made a push, however, the Diamondbacks’ bullpen — ranked second in the National League in ERA (3.66) and third in WHIP (1.27) during the regular season — managed to somehow keep the lead, with southpaw Robbie Ray’s critical midgame innings giving the rest of the Arizona relievers just enough breathing room in the 11-8 victory.
Ray used his slider and fastball to hold the tide and show why he led the National League in strikeout rate this season with 12.11 strikeouts per nine innings. He had three strikeouts before turning the game over to his bullpen mates with a 6-4 lead.
“I’m taking the ball whenever they ask me to,” Ray said. “If itap a start, thatap great, or I’ll come out of the bullpen. Tonight was my first time coming out of the bullpen since 2014.
“The bullpen just went about their business and stayed locked in from the first pitch they were called upon. We knew going into this that anything can happen, especially after watching (the AL wild card), so we didn’t take a pitch off. Everything was working tonight. I felt like where ever I threw the ball, and whatever I threw, I could get an out with it.”
After Ray left, former Rockies starter — the winningest pitcher in Colorado history — made an appearance, earning the second out of the seventh but allowing the fifth Colorado run to score on ’s bunt. Archie Bradley came on to get DJ LaMahieu to ground out.
Bradley then stepped to the plate in the bottom of the frame and roped a two-run triple to make it 8-5. As he stood on third, Bradley ripped off his helmet and screamed to the sea of red, a rare pitcher’s hitting feat that appeared to be the final dagger in the desert duel.
The triple appeared to tire him.
“I wish I had pulled up at second for a double,” he said.
Thatap because he got tagged for back-to-back home runs by Arenado and Story that had the Chase Field crowd feeling nervous. All of a sudden, the Rockies were in a one-run game and nearing an equalizing blow following ’s two-out double.
“After the first one, I was like, OK, letap settle back down,” Bradley said. “Then after the next one, it was only a one-run game, but I found a way to channel my emotions and really calm down.”
Again, the Arizona bullpen stabilized, as Bradley got Lucroy to fly out to right to end the inning. And, after adding three insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth, Arizona closer Fernando Rodney allowed a run on two hits, but eventually shut the door on the Rockies’ dreams in the ninth.
“Every time we needed an insurance run or a run to get things going again, guys got on base and guys hit people in,” Bradley said.
