Rockies Blast Their Way Out of a Walk-Fest, Snag a Rare Road Series Win

PHOENIX — The Rockies showed up to the desert with chaos on their minds and a cleanup crew in the bullpen. Ten walks. Fifteen stranded baserunners for the other side. A couple of mammoth homers. Somehow, someway, Colorado walked out of Chase Field with a 6-4 win and something they haven't felt in forever: a road series victory.

Brett Sullivan introduced himself to the rivalry with a three-run missile down the right-field line in the second inning, igniting a four-run frame that chased Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly into damage control. Then Zac Veen, making his season debut after a call-up earlier in the week, added a two-run blast in the fourth. The 2020 first-round pick made it look easy, and suddenly the Rockies had breathing room.

That air got thin fast.

Colorado's pitching walked ten Diamondbacks, but somehow—somehow—only one of those free passes came around to score. Arizona stranded 15 runners total, including the bases loaded in both the fifth and sixth innings. Ryan Feltner (5-6) gutted through five innings of seven-hit, two-run ball, walking three and striking out two. Jordan Romano shut the door in the ninth for his 12th save, no drama needed.

The Diamondbacks made it interesting late. Corbin Carroll, the All-Star who's already having a season for the ages, crushed his 100th career homer and 18th of the year in the eighth off lefty Brennan Bernardino. He also ripped his 14th triple of the season—twice as many as anyone else in baseball—and now leads all active players with 57 career triples.

But the comeback never came. Kelly (8-10) got pulled after five, charged with six earned runs on six hits. The D-backs had their chances, but a sixth-inning at-bat from Gabriel Moreno turned into an ump-show circus: three calls overturned, including two called strikes that were nowhere near the zone, and the final pitch flipped to a strike for a brutal strikeout looking.

For the Rockies, this marks back-to-back road wins for the first time since June 1-2 against the Angels—and their first road series win since then, too. They're still miles under .500 on the road, but on this night, they'll take the messy, loud, improbable victory.

Next up: Colorado heads to San Francisco for a Friday showdown with Kyle Freeland (3-10, 6.63) against Giants righty Landen Roupp. Arizona takes its own act to Atlanta, where Brandon Pfaadt (6-1, 3.36) faces the daunting Chris Sale (12-7, 2.20).