Rockies fall one run short of franchise record, absolutely embarrass Diamondbacks

DENVER – The Colorado Rockies, apparently, were not especially thrilled with being asked incessantly after Tuesday’s night’s frustrating late loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks about their then nine-game home losing streak against their division rivals.

Unleashing those frustrations in a fury of firepower, the home team scored 19 runs on 19 hits on Wednesday night, completely dismantling the Diamondbacks from beginning to end in what had to feel pretty cathartic for the home club.

It was the eighth time in team history that the Rockies have scored 19 or more runs. The last time was September 25, 2011. They fell just one run short of their franchise record of 20 runs in a game, which they’ve accomplished three times.

German Marquez did more than enough with a quality start, quietly working quick innings in between offensive outbursts.

It began, after Paul Goldschmidt briefly put the Diamondbacks ahead—yes Arizona held a lead in this game—with a solo homer in the first, by the Rockies responding with five of their own.

Jumping all over Shelby Miller who has struggled in his career at Coors and against the Rockies in general, DJ LeMahieu led off with a walk before Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado hit back-to-back singles to tie the game. Carlos Gonzalez then hit into a force out, beating the relay on a double-play attempt, scoring a second run.

Trevor Story struck out for the second out but Gerardo Parra drew a walk to keep the pressure on. That set the stage for a big home run from Ian Desmond that really began the opening of the floodgates. It was his 18th home run of the season.

Miller was able to retire his counterpart to end the inning but that would also be the end of his night, being announced later to have experienced right-elbow tightness.

The Diamondbacks called upon the best pitcher in Coors Field history, Jorge De La Rosa, who didn’t fare much better. LeMahieu singled and Blackmon walked this time before Arenado loaded the bases with a free pass of his own. For the second-straight at-bat, CarGo plated a run while making a force out at second and beating the relay throw at first.

Story struck out again and Parra walked again in another set up for Desmond who once again delivered with a solid single to right, scoring two more. That gave Desmond five RBI in the game and 54 on the year.

De La Rosa balked in Parra before finally getting Tony Wolters on strikes.

LeMahieu got things fired right back up in the third on a double down the left-field line that preceded Blackmon’s 18th homer of the season on a deep shot to center. Arenado ground out but CarGo, with nobody aboard to get the force-out RBI, launched one of his own over the left-center field wall, his ninth home run of the season.

Things got officially crazy in just the fourth inning when position player Daniel Descalso came on to pitch for Arizona. That is the earliest any true position player has pitched in a game since the Brewers’ Sal Bando on August 29, 1979 who also came on in the fourth.

Things did not work out so well for the former-Rockie. He inherited a tough spot from Yoshihisa Hirano who surrendered a triple to Wolters (Tony Three-Bags) an RBI single to Marquez, a ground-rule double to LeMahieu, and a single to Blackmon.

Descalso had Arenado first, no easy task, and got away with just an opposite-field single. But Gonzalez made sure he wasn’t so lucky against him, smashing his second consecutive home run.

Marquez went yard off of Descalso in the fifth, becoming the first Rockies’ pitcher of the season to homer, and giving his club a staggering 19-1 lead. It was a no-doubt shot, too, going 447 feet.

Alex Avila became the second position player to pitch for the Diamondbacks and to much better results, though obviously the game was well decided by that point.

Colorado improved to 47-45 and pulled to 3.5 games back of these Diamondbacks for first place in the NL West.

Final Stats:

German Marquez: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K

Yency Almonte: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Bryan Shaw: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Charlie Blackmon: 3-for-3, 4 R, 3 RBI, BB HR (18)

DJ LeMahieu: 3-for-5, 4 R, 1 BB

Nolan Arenado: 2-for-3, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB

Carlos Gonzalez: 2-for-5, 4 R, 6 RBI

Ian Desmond: 3-for-5, 1 R, 5 RBI

What’s Next:

The Rockies try to win their fourth straight series on Thursday afternoon. Kyle Freeland faces off against Robbie Ray. First pitch at 1:10 Mountain Time.