Rockies baffled by Diamondbacks again

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The Colorado Rockies suddenly look like a team with no answers, limping into the All-Star break. Dropping their second straight to the Arizona Diamondbacks by a score of 4-2, the boys in purple are in desperate need of the upcoming time off. And perhaps some reinforcements.

Starters Jon Gray and Robbie Ray both pitched well, but it was the former who made the mistake that was capitalized on in the key moment of the game.

Daniel Murphy briefly gave the Rockies a lead in the second with his seventh home run of the season, a high fly ball over the wall in right-center field.

Gray was able to dance away from trouble through the first three innings but wasn’t so fortunate in the fourth. A leadoff double for Adam Jones and a two-out intentional walk of Carson Kelly put two aboard but also brought Ray to the plate with two away.

But he managed to stay on a slider that Gray didn’t quite get enough bite on, lining it softly to left for a single that tied the game at 1-1.

Colorado missed their chance to answer right back on a walk from Tony Wolters and a good-luck double by Charlie Blackmon. With runners at second and third and one away, Trevor Story struck out in a fastball up and in the outer part of the zone and David Dahl rolled one over to second to end the inning with no damage done.

Jones greeted Gray with a hit again in the sixth, singling on a groundball to right before Gray made his first and only true mistake of the game. He left a fastball up to Jake Lamb who got full extension and blasted it over the wall in center. His first home run of the season gave the Diamondbacks a 3-1 lead.

Bud Black decided it was time to go to his bullpen and handed the baseball to Jairo Diaz who immediately gave up a single to Nick Ahmed who stole second and scored on a single from Kelly to make it 4-1. Diaz then struck out a pair and got a pop out to finally escape the inning.

Colorado got one back in the top of the eighth when Story got Yoan Lopez for his 18th home run of the year, a deep fly to center field.

Murphy started the ninth against Greg Holland with a single and Raimel Tapia hit one hard but right at first base for a 3-6-1 double play. Wolters kept some hope alive with a single but Holland struck out Ryan McMahon to end it.

With the loss, the Rockies fall back to an even .500 record at 44-44. They are now tied with these Diamondbacks in the division and Wild Card race. The final game of the set and the first half is set for Sunday afternoon at 2:10 Mountain Time. German Marquez will take on Alex Young.