Arizona Diamondbacks hitter David Peralta watches the baseball as he hits a RBI single in the fifth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals on April 5, 2018 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI |
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DENVER -- The Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks, both coming off series losses, begin a key four-game series Monday in the tight National League West.
The Rockies dropped the rubber game of their series with the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-6 on Sunday. The defeat trimmed the Rockies' lead over the Dodgers to a half-game in the division. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks lost Sunday for the 11th time in 16 games, yielding six runs in the ninth inning and losing 9-5 to the Atlanta Braves.
The Diamondbacks remained 2 1/2 games behind the Rockies and are second, three games behind in the race for the second NL wild-card spot.
German Marquez (11-9, 4.05 ERA) will start for the Rockies against Zack Godley (14-8, 4.51).
Marquez is 2-1 with a 2.43 ERA in his past five home starts, four of which the Rockies have won. He has piled up 25 strikeouts in his past two starts, including 11 on Tuesday against the San Francisco Giants when he gave up two runs in 6 2/3 innings and won as the Rockies triumphed 6-2.
In his past eight starts, Marquez is 3-1 with a 2.24 ERA with 13 walks, 72 strikeouts and 38 hits allowed in 56 2/3 innings. Opponents are batting .189 against Marquez in that stretch with a .539 OPS.
He's 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in four starts against the Diamondbacks this year and 1-4 with a 4,72 ERA against them in 11 games (10 starts).
Godley has never lost to the Rockies. He's 1-0 with a 4.22 ERA against them in two starts this season and 4-0 with a 3.15 ERA against them in seven games (five starts).
Godley has pitched five innings in three of his past five starts, including Monday against San Diego when he allowed two hits and four runs and took the loss as the Diamondbacks fell 6-2. But in his previous start on Aug. 29 at San Francisco, Godley allowed two hits and one run in season-high 7 2/3 innings and was the winner in Arizona's 3-1 victory,
Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado, who was rested Saturday night, was 5-for-41 and hitless in 15 consecutive at-bats when he when he belted a two-run homer in the sixth inning on Sunday, his first home run since Aug. 24.
"Obviously, it stinks that we couldn't win, but it felt good that I was able to hit a ball hard there," Arenado said. "We can't let this game affect us. We know we got a big series coming up here with the Diamondbacks. Losing's never fun, but when you have big games coming up -- which we put ourselves in that position -- it's easier to move on."
The Diamondbacks are 7-5 against the Rockies this year and 4-2 at Coors Field.
Arizona outfielder David Peralta was not in the lineup Sunday but singled home a run as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning. He injured his left ankle running out a fielder's choice in the eighth inning Saturday night.
"David kind of banged up his ankle," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo told reporters before Sunday's game. "He was lunging at first base. It's nothing that's going to prolong things, as I've been told. He could have played today. I want to protect a little bit of that bump and a bruise and also get him ready for that Colorado series."
With good reason, considering the damage Peralta has done against the Rockies and at Coors Field. He's hitting .450 (18-for-40) against the Rockies this season in 10 games with a 1.213 OPS, five doubles, two homers and nine RBIs. And in 26 career games at Coors Field, Peralta is hitting .354 with a .923 OPS, six doubles, one triple, three homers and 15 RBIs.
