DENVER – The Colorado Rockies returned to Coors Field Friday night after a nine-game road trip, clinging to the lead in the National League West, with intent to preserve that lead behind their struggling ace against the Cincinnati Reds.

Manager Bud Black was hoping to get Jon Gray going against a bottom-feeder team in Cincinnati, a team that has already changed their manager in the early stages of this season. Gray was coming off back-to-back starts of six and five runs allowed, respectively.

The Reds countered with right-hander Sal Romano. Not to be outdone by Gray’s recent struggles, Romano entered the game allowing seven and six runs in his previous two starts and carried a 5.62 ERA on the season.

The BABIP gods were not kind to Gray early, who got routine ground balls on the first four batters of the game and five overall in the first inning. The problem for him, however, was that the Rockies shifted on the second two hitters,

Tucker Barnhart and Joey Votto, which allowed their grounders to sneak through. If if’s and but’s were candy etc. but had the Rockies maintained standard defensive alignment, Gray could’ve escaped the first on six pitches. Instead, he threw 23, hitting a batter and allowing two runs on three hits, all of which just crept past Rockies infielders.

Nolan Arenado got one back in the bottom of the frame, taking Fasano into the Reds bullpen for his ninth home run of the season after going 1 for his last 10 in the previous series at Dodger Stadium.

Where there was a lack of luck in the first, there was a lack of execution in the third for Gray. He served up a middle of the zone fastball that Eugenio Suarez crushed 430 feet to center field. The home run drove in himself and Votto, who also made solid contact of Gray on a double to left earlier in the frame.

Once again, the Rockies followed up the Reds’ productive frame with one of their own. Five consecutive hitters reached with one out, on two walks, two singles and a Charlie Blackmon double. Gerardo Parra lined a bases-loaded single into center scoring a pair, but the Rockies got some help from the Cincinnati defense who had Arenado dead to rights trying to reach third on the play.

The Reds failed to not only get him out but additionally allowed Parra to reach second as they threw the ball around. The scoring culminated with a bases-loaded walk to Tony Wolters, scoring Parra and tying the game at four apiece.

They seemed poised for more in the fourth, with Blackmon and Dahl on the corners with one out and Arenado at the plate for the second consecutive inning. But, they failed to capitalize when Arenado rolled over a slider for an inning-ending double play.

Meanwhile, Gray bore down and retired the last four hitters he faced, striking out four in his final two innings of work. He ended his night after the sixth inning, salvaging a start where he followed some poor luck with control issues before ultimately polishing up.

In the bottom of the sixth, Gray’s pinch hitter Noel Cuevas drove a triple off the right field wall to score Wolters and give the Rockies a 5-4 lead. It was Cuevas’ first career triple and third RBI of the year. They failed to score Cuevas from third, as Blackmon popped out and Dahl hit an easy fly to center to end the inning.

Mike Dunn and Adam Ottavino both pitched around a runner in their innings of work to preserve the lead going into the ninth.

Wade Davis worked a 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts to record his 18th save of the year.

Final score: Rockies 5, Reds 4.

Colorado improves to 27-24 to maintain their lead on the NL West.

Final Stats

Jon Gray: 6 IP, 6 H, 4 R (4 ER), 8 K, 3 BB

Mike Dunn: IP, 0 R, K

Adam Ottavino: IP, 0 R

Wade Davis: 1 IP, 2 K (S:18)

Nolan Arenado: 1-for-2, HR, 2 BB

Charlie Blackmon, 2-for-3, 2B, R

Gerardo Parra: 1-for-4, 2 RBI

David Dahl: 2-for-4, R

What’s Next

The Rockies are back in action on Saturday against the Reds. Tyler Anderson will get the ball opposite of Tyler Mahle, who yielded three home runs in his last start against the Chicago Cubs. First pitch is at 7:10.