Arizona Diamondbacks vs Colorado Rockies Box Score on Sep 03, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Sep 3, 2017

DENVER -- The Arizona Diamondbacks seemingly can do no wrong.

They rested three regulars Sunday but hit three home runs and won their 10th straight game, beating the Colorado Rockies 5-1 to sweep their three-game series.

The winning streak is the longest since Arizona won a franchise-record 12 straight from June 18 to June 30, 2003. The Diamondbacks lead the Rockies by 6 1/2 games in the race for the top wild-card spot in the National League.

Paul Goldschmidt, J.D. Martinez and A. J. Pollock were given the day off. No matter. Ketel Marte hit a solo homer, and Brandon Drury hit a two-run shot in the three-run sixth inning that broke a 1-1 tie.

Chris Iannetta homered in the eighth, and starter Zack Godley held the Rockies to three hits and one run in six innings.

With their third consecutive three-game sweep, the Diamondbacks tied a franchise record. The other two times they swept three consecutive three-game series were in 2001 and 2003.

Arizona also has set a franchise mark by not trailing in 79 consecutive innings.

Colorado leads Milwaukee by a half-game for the second wild-card after the Brewers completed a four-game series against Washington with their third win Sunday.

The Rockies have lost four straight games and 10 of 14 games. In those 14 games, the Rockies have scored two or fewer runs five times and three or fewer runs nine times.

Colorado went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position Sunday and was 2-for-30 in such situations in the series when it managed just 17 hits, including five Sunday.

Charlie Blackmon opened the eighth inning with a single and Gerardo Parra bunted for a hit, bringing Jimmie Sherfy out of the Arizona bullpen. He struck out Trevor Story, pinch-hitter Nolan Arenado and Pat Valaika to keep Arizona's four-run lead intact and retired the side in order in the ninth for his first career save.

Rockies starter German Marquez (10-6) had gone 6-0 with a 3.24 ERA in his past nine starts at Coors Field, all of which the Rockies won. He lost at home for the first time since May 5 when he gave up five runs in six innings to the Diamondbacks and lost 6-3.

Marte led off the sixth with his fifth homer when he pulled Marquez's 1-1 slider and hit it an estimated 361 feet just over the wall near the left-field corner.

Jake Lamb followed with a single and with one out, Drury drove Marquez's 0-2 fastball into the right-field stands to put Arizona ahead 4-1. The home run was Drury's 11th of the season. Marquez gave up six hits and four runs in six innings with no walks and nine strikeouts.

Godley (7-7) was far from crisp with a career-high tying six walks and seven strikeouts in his 105-pitch outing that included 59 strikes. But he was effective when he had to be.

DJ LeMahieu extended his season-high hitting to 11 games with a single when he beat Arizona's radical shift where left field wasn't covered and grounded a single to the left of second base. After Godley walked Carlos Gonzalez, Blackmon tied the score at 1 with an opposite-field single.

But Godley then got Parra to ground into a double play as Blackmon was called out for going outside the base line.

Godley issued two walks in the third but retired Blackmon on a fly to deep left to strand runners at the corners. The Rockies loaded the bases with two outs in the fourth, but Godley struck out Marquez on three pitches.

Daniel Peralta's double gave Arizona a 1-0 lead in the third. The opposite-field hit off the wall in left scored Gregor Blanco, who led off with a single and was sacrificed to second.

NOTES: The Diamondbacks did not score in the first inning, ending their streak of leading for 52 consecutive innings, the third longest streak by a major league team since 1920. ... Rockies CF Charlie Blackmon, who typically hits leadoff, started a game batting third for the third time in his career. He also did it Aug. 25, 2015, and July 6 this season. ... Rockies 3B Nolan Arenado, who primarily hits third and is 3-for-23, and 1B Mark Reynolds, who is 5-for-33, were rested. ... Diamondbacks 1B Kristopher Negron made his first start in the big leagues since Sept. 8, 2015. ... Rockies LHP Tyler Anderson (left knee) is scheduled to throw about 45 pitches Monday for Triple-A Albuquerque at Reno and then be reinstated from the 60-day disabled list and rejoin the Rockies.