Arizona @ Colorado preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 24, 2015 ) Arizona 8, Colorado 7

The Arizona Diamondbacks visit the Colorado Rockies on Thursday afternoon in the rubber match of their three-game set and can thank three players in particular for the opportunity to win the series. Aaron Hill, Paul Goldschmidt and rookie Yasmany Tomas on Wednesday continued to make life miserable for Colorado by contributing in a three-run ninth inning that lifted the Diamondbacks to an 8-7 victory - their first win in 30 tries when trailing after eight innings this season.

Hill, a .346 career hitter against the Rockies and 8-for-18 with seven RBIs this season, lifted the game-winning sacrifice fly after Tomas knocked in a run with his career-high fourth hit and Goldschmidt walked and scored the tying run. Goldschmidt, who leads the National League in batting at .353, has reached base safely in 24 consecutive games versus the Rockies and Tomas is 11-for-21 with eight RBIs in his first five contests versus Colorado, including 7-for-11 with four RBIs in two games at Coors Field. The last-place Rockies (31-40), who were denied in their bid to match a season high with a fourth straight victory, are eight games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers and four back of the third-place Diamondbacks. A pair of De La Rosas - Arizona's Rubby and Colorado's Jorge - square off as the Diamondbacks' right-hander vies for his third straight victory and the Rockies' left-hander tries to regain his winning form at Coors Field.

TV: 3:10 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona

PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Rubby De La Rosa (6-3, 4.96 ERA) vs. Rockies LH Jorge De La Rosa (4-3, 5.47)

Rubby De La Rosa allowed two runs (one earned) in a combined 15 innings in victories over San Diego 4-2 on Friday and at San Francisco 4-0 on June 14 when he tossed eight shutout innings. "He is a young guy finding his way. It's the first time someone is allowing him to go out there,'' Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale told reporters about the 26-year-old Dominican, who is in his first season with Arizona. ''If he has two or three bad outings he goes back to the minor leagues (in the past). ...'' De La Rosa, who yielded 16 runs in his previous two turns, is 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA in four games (two starts) against Colorado.

Jorge De La Rosa permitted six runs, 11 hits (two home runs) and three walks in five innings of a 9-5 loss to Milwaukee on Friday to fall to 2-2 with a 7.56 ERA in seven home turns this season. The 34-year-old Mexican, who yielded five runs in a combined 13 innings in home victories over St. Louis 4-3 on June 9 and the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-3 on June 2, is 47-16 with a 4.23 ERA in 88 games (83 starts) at Coors Field. Goldschmidt is 3-for-12 with a home run and four RBIs against De La Rosa, who is 8-8 with a 2.98 ERA in 24 games (20 starts) versus the Diamondbacks.

WALK-OFFS

1. Diamondbacks SS Nick Ahmed on Wednesday went 2-for-3 and is 13-for-39 in his last 12 games with a home run, two doubles, five RBIs and five walks to raise his average 25 points to .234.

2. Colorado RF Carlos Gonzalez on Wednesday took some swings, but missed his second straight game because of a left hand sprain and remains day-to-day.

3. Arizona (35-36) has lost its last eight games when attempting to return to .500.

PREDICTION: Rockies 6, Diamondbacks 2