The grand puzzle of the Rockies’ dreadful road performance this season is giving manager Bud Black a metaphorical headache.
“We bang our heads against a wall trying to figure this out,” Black said. “We really do.”
On Tuesday night in Arizona, the Rockies suffered another self-inflicted migraine. Starting pitcher Jon Gray gave up four consecutive doubles in the first as Arizona took a 3-0 lead with none out. Colorado fought back to tie the score, but closer Daniel Bard loaded the bases in the ninth and hit David Peralta to force in the winning run in a 4-3 loss.
Colorado dropped to 6-32 on the road and 37-49 overall.
Gray’s hot-and-cold season continued in the desert. Diamondbacks’ Josh Rojas, Peralta, Eduardo Escobar, and Christian Walker all lit him up for doubles to begin the night. But Gray settled down and retired a stretch of 10 consecutive Diamondbacks while pitching five shutout innings to end his night.
“I was really just trying to figure my tempo out and the rhythm of the game,” Gray said. “My changeup early on was kind of staying in and it wasn’t really fading off. Same thing with the fastball. It was kind of in the middle of the plate. As soon as I made those adjustments, we got outs, but they jumped on me early.
“I wish I could have made a change before that.”
Colorado’s offense made its push against Arizona starter Merrill Kelly. Charlie Blackmon singled in the fourth and scored on a Brendan Rodgers RBI double. Raimel Tapia’s single brought home C.J. Cron in the fifth to cut Arizona’s margin to 3-2.
The Rockies were unable to capitalize in the sixth after a Trevor Story leadoff walk and another Blackmon single. In the seventh Elias Diaz walked and Garrett Hampson, while pinch-hitting for Gray, reached base via an infield single. A Yonathan Daza groundout scored Diaz to make it 3-3.
Colorado relievers Jhoulys Chacin and Carlos Estevez preserved the tie with scoreless seventh and eighth innings, respectively. But Arizona relievers Noe Ramirez and Joakim Soria matched them with six consecutive outs.
In the bottom of the ninth Bard gave up a leadoff single to Stephen Vogt and walked Daulton Varsho. Nick Ahmed then lined out. But Bard loaded the bases with a walk to Rojas, and then plunked Peralta.
“As the game went on, we got some hits, we fought back and tied,” Black said. “We couldn’t get the big blow to add on to the inning. … There looked to be some (Bard) pitches that were close. Not in the strike zone, apparently. But he’s fine.”
