Diamondbacks, Patrick Corbin crushed by Rockies at Coors Field

Editor’s note: This is your home for the latest Arizona Diamondbacks game day news. Follow us throughout the Diamondbacks’ game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Saturday.

D-Backs crushed by Rockies

DENVER – Tyler Anderson matched a career high with 10 strikeouts, Mark Reynolds homered for the second consecutive game and the Colorado Rockies routed the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-1 on Saturday night.

Nolan Arenado also went deep and Charlie Blackmon added three hits for the Rockies, including a double and a run-scoring triple as the surprising NL West leaders moved 1 1/2 games ahead of Arizona. DJ LeMahieu had an RBI single among his three hits, while Ryan Hanigan and Gerardo Parra each had a run-scoring single.

Anderson (2-3) pitched out of early trouble and went six innings. He punctuated his outing by striking out six of his last seven batters.

The left-hander escaped a two-on, one-out jam in the second by getting A.J. Pollock to ground into a double play. Anderson helped quash another uprising in the third by picking off Arizona’s lead runner at second base, Nick Ahmed.

BOX SCORE: Diamondbacks 9, Rockies 1

It was quite a turnaround from his last outing, also against Arizona. In that one, Anderson gave up a career-high three home runs in a no-decision.

Patrick Corbin (2-4), who entered with five straight quality starts, allowed a season-high eight runs and nine hits in four-plus innings. The Rockies got to him for four runs in the first, including a two-run drive by Reynolds for his 10th homer of the season.

Arenado led off the third with his eighth after singling home a run in the first.

Gregor Blanco, recalled from the minors earlier this week after his spring training was interrupted by an oblique injury, singled in the second to drive in the Diamondbacks’ lone run.

Chris Rusin finished up with three scoreless innings for his first career save.

POSTGAME READING: Zack Greinke’s slider a key to bounceback season for D-Backs

Corbin departs as D-Backs trail

Diamondbacks lefty Patrick Corbin’s night came to a relatively early end on Saturday night. He faced one batter in the fifth inning before manager Torey Lovullo removed him from the game.

Corbin finished with eight earned runs allowed on nine hits and one walk in four-plus innings.

It was his worst outing of the year by a long shot, the first time in seven starts he’d given up more than three earned runs.

Rockies grab early lead at Coors Field

Patrick Corbin is struggling through three innings against the Colorado Rockies, trailing 5-1 at Coors Field on Saturday night.

The Rockies had a 4-0 lead after five batters in the bottom of the first. Charlie Blackmon (double), D.J. LeMahieu (single) and Nolan Arenado (single) started the inning with consecutive hits, and No. 5 hitter Mark Reynolds connected for a two-run homer to make it 4-0.

Arenado led off the third inning with a solo home run of his own.

The Diamondbacks got a run back in the second inning on Gregor Blanco’s RBI single, but it has not been a pretty game thus far for them.

They had runners on second and third in the first and came up empty-handed. They put the first three men aboard to start the second but Corbin did not put down a successful sac bunt and A.J. Pollock grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Then in the third, with runners on first and second and nobody out, Nick Ahmed was picked off at second base and the Diamondbacks again failed to score.

Owings scratched

Chris Owings became the latest player to succumb to illness, as the Diamondbacks scratched him from the lineup prior to Saturday night’s game against the Rockies.

“We have dealt with it a couple of times already this season,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “You think you’re through it and out the other side and it hits you again.”

Since late in spring training, several Diamondbacks players and coaches have come down with the flu-like illness. Outfielder David Peralta and second baseman Brandon Drury both were sick and missed time during this road trip.

Earlier in the season, third baseman Jake Lamb, shortstop Nick Ahmed, catcher Jeff Mathis and coaches Dave Magadan and Robby Hammock have all been sent home sick – or, in the case of Ahmed, sent to the hospital for fluids.

“I know every team has had to deal with it,” Lovullo said. “We’re not exempt from anything.”

Lovullo said the team has done its best to keep it from spreading, which is part of the reason why players have been sent home or back to the team hotel. He said the team offers optional flu shots for its players when they undergo physicals at the start of spring training.

“It’s virtually impossible to avoid the fact that it’s spread,” Lovullo said. “We’re all together. We’re so close. … We try to sanitize everything and wash our hands, but it’s impossible.”

Staying fresh

The Diamondbacks did not take batting practice on the field on Saturday and aren’t planning to do so on Sunday, either, as Lovullo and the staff are looking at ways to keep the players fresh while playing games in Denver’s high altitude.

“Just keep them off the field as long as possible, catch their breath,” Lovullo said. “It’s tough. We’ve got a couple of guys who aren’t feeling so good overall. I know that everybody is coming up here huffing and puffing and talking about shortness of breath, so I felt like it made sense to keep them off the field.”

The Diamondbacks hit inside in the cage and did some defensive work during their scheduled batting practice time, Lovullo said.

Name game

Right-hander Taijuan Walker is more than happy to be a part of the club’s July 7 Game of Thrones night at Chase Field, when the team will hand out Taijuan Walker Night King Bobbleheads.

On the HBO series, the Night King is the horned, blue-eyed leader of the White Walkers, and while he doesn’t look anything like the Diamondbacks pitcher, the two have the name “Walker” in common.

“It’s pretty cool,” Walker said. “I’ve seen all the episodes multiple times. It’s been so long between seasons that I’ve got to catch back up. I’ve been doing that with my wife. We’re going to watch the next season again when we go back home so we’re refreshed.”

As Walker knows off-hand, the new season will premiere on July 16.

RELATED READING: Owings flexing his power muscles

Lineup

1. A.J. Pollock CF

2. Nick Ahmed SS

3. Paul Goldschmidt 1B

4. Jake Lamb 3B

5. Yasmany Tomas LF

6. Brandon Drury 2B

7. Chris Iannetta C

8. Gregor Blanco RF

9. Patrick Corbin P

Diamondbacks LHP Patrick Corbin will start against the Rockies. Game starts at 5:10 p.m.

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Coming up

Sunday: At Colorado, 12:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Taijuan Walker (3-1, 4.19) vs. Rockies RHP Tyler Chatwood (2-4, 5.40).

Monday: Off.

Tuesday: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks TBA vs. Tigers RHP Justin Verlander (2-2, 4.21).

Wednesday: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks LHP Robbie Ray (2-2, 3.47) vs. Tigers LHP Matt Boyd (2-2, 3.78).