The Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks needed only a few innings to turn the series opener into a tense pitching duel. Arizona won 2-1 on a walk-off single, but the night was defined as much by two strong starting pitchers as by the late finish.
Zach Agnos made his first start since high school and gave Colorado exactly what it needed for most of the game. He threw five innings with 71 pitches, 49 strikes, four strikeouts, and one walk, while allowing just one hit and keeping Arizona from building early momentum.
Agnos delivers beyond expectations
The Rockies had hoped for four innings from Agnos, but he gave them more and did it efficiently. He mixed his pitches well, worked quickly, and handled the Diamondbacks with poise, becoming only the third Rockies player in team history to post that line in his first career start.
Arizona did not put a runner on base against him until Adrian Del Castillo drew a one-out walk in the third inning. The only hit Agnos allowed was a soft line drive from Ketel Marte later in that frame, and even then he kept the damage from growing.
That kind of outing gave Colorado a real chance to leave with a lead, even if the offense could not fully reward him. His work also created the possibility of another start, given how well he matched veteran Eduardo Rodriguez pitch for pitch through five innings.
Rodriguez controls Colorado’s offense
Rodriguez was nearly as sharp for Arizona, and Colorado did not make life easy on him. The Rockies did not reach base until the fourth inning, when Willi Castro drew a walk, and they did not get their first hit until the fifth.
Rodriguez went seven innings and allowed four hits while striking out four. He also forced 10 ground balls, including key double-play contact that repeatedly stalled Colorado’s chances.
The best chance for the Rockies to score against him came in the fifth. Ezequiel Tovar opened the inning with a double, and Jake McCarthy later reached on an infield single to put runners on the corners with one out.
Colorado then tried a squeeze bunt from Braxton Fulford, but Rodriguez fielded it cleanly and got Tovar at the plate. Troy Johnston’s flyout ended the inning, and the tie stayed intact.
A short burst gives Arizona the lead
Colorado turned to Blas Castaño in the sixth, and the inning started poorly for the Rockies. Castaño walked Ryan Waldschmidt, allowed a single to Marte, and then watched Corbin Carroll reach on a force play that brought home Arizona’s first run.
The inning became more complicated after Castaño walked Geraldo Perdomo and hit Nolan Arenado with a pitch to load the bases. Chad Stevens helped limit the damage with strong defense, including a double play that ended the frame.
Arizona threatened again in the next inning, but Colorado escaped with another bit of help from its infield defense. Willi Castro’s awkward reaction on a grounder briefly created confusion, yet Ezequiel Tovar covered the bag for the force out.
Colorado answers, but cannot cash in
Once Rodriguez left, Colorado finally found a path back into the game. Juan Morillo entered having not allowed a run since May 2, but the Rockies loaded the bases and forced pressure onto the Arizona bullpen.
Johnston singled, TJ Rumfield followed with a pinch-hit single, and Castro drew another walk. Tyler Freeman then was hit by a pitch on his birthday, driving in the tying run and leaving the bases loaded with no outs.
That set up a chance to take the lead, but Kevin Ginkel shut the door. Hunter Goodman popped out to the catcher, and Tovar grounded out to third to end the inning without further damage.
The Rockies finished with six hits and went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. They also struck out six times and drew only two walks, which made the missed opportunity in the seventh more costly.
Late bullpen pressure decides it
Colorado’s bullpen kept the game tied into the ninth after Seth Halvorsen worked out of trouble in the eighth. Juan Mejia then entered the bottom of the ninth and allowed two walks, putting the Rockies on the edge of extra innings.
With two outs and Carroll at the plate, Mejia came close to escaping again. Carroll ended that threat with a ball to right field, and Freeman could not make the throw home in time to stop the winning run.
Arizona finished with only four hits and went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. The difference came in the walk column, where Colorado’s bullpen issued seven after Agnos left, and that extra traffic eventually opened the door for the Diamondbacks.
Friday’s game brings another pitching matchup, with Tomoyuki Sugano set to start for Colorado and Michael Soroka taking the mound for Arizona. First pitch is scheduled for 7:40 am MDT, and the Rockies will look to turn another tight game into a result that goes their way.
Read more at: www.purplerow.com