D-Backs trail Rockies as game enters rain delay

D-Backs trail Rockies as game enters rain delay

The Diamondbacks scored twice in the eighth inning but still trail the Rockies 5-2 on Sunday at Coors Field, where the teams entered a rain delay before the start of the bottom of the eighth inning.

Daniel Descalso opened the eighth with a single that deflected off Rockies right-hander Tyler Chatwood, who was immediately removed from the game. Chris Herrmann drew a walk off reliever Adam Ottovino, who then allowed a two-strike, run-scoring single to Nick Ahmed.

Brandon Drury grounded into a double play, allowing another run to score.

Just after Diamondbacks reliever Jorge De La Rosa completed his warm-up tosses, the grounds crew scurried onto the field to unfurl the tarp, beating a heavy downpour by a few minutes.

D-Backs’ ugly inning helps Rockies extend lead

The Diamondbacks played a sloppy sixth inning, opening the door for the Rockies to add three runs to their lead on Sunday afternoon, and they’re ahead 4-0 through 6 1/2 innings.

Diamondbacks second baseman Chris Owings’ two-out error with the bases empty allowed Mark Reynolds to reach, and Trevor Story followed by hitting a routine fly to right. Right fielder David Peralta tripped and fell to the ground, but recovered and looked to be in position to make the catch when he appeared to lose the ball in the sun.

It fell for a double, allowing Reynolds to score, and Chris Valaika followed by launching a two-run homer to left off reliever J.J. Hoover to make it 4-0.

Reynolds’ HR puts Rockies ahead vs. D-Backs

Mark Reynolds’ torrid start to the season continued on Sunday as the former Diamondbacks’ slugger launched a solo homer against his old team, giving the Rockies a 1-0 lead in the second inning.

It was the third consecutive game in this series Reynolds homered, giving him 11 on the season.

Reynolds, 33, didn’t enter the year expected to be an everyday player, but an injury to Ian Desmond in spring training opened the door, and Reynolds has continued to get consistent at-bats even with Desmond’s return last week.

The Diamondbacks did not have a hit through three innings 

Pollock sits again as Lovullo sticks to plan

For the fifth consecutive weekend, center fielder A.J. Pollock found himself getting a day off from the Diamondbacks lineup, with Gregor Blanco getting the start in center field on Sunday afternoon.

Manager Torey Lovullo says he’s targeting somewhere between 130-140 games for Pollock this season, though he might be willing to bend if the club is in the hunt late in the summer. For his part, Pollock had no complaints about Lovullo’s plan.

“He wants everything to be geared toward peaking at the end of the year,” Pollock said. “If that’s what he thinks is the right thing, I’m not really going to try to second-guess anything he’s doing. I’m going to try to get my mind on whatever he wants me to do to help the team out.”

Lovullo doesn’t want to push Pollock too hard, particularly following a season in which he missed all but a handful of games due to injury.

“I know he doesn’t agree with it because he wants to be out there helping these guys winning every day or being part of the winning solution here,” Lovullo said, “but he’s putting his own personal thoughts aside for the good of the team and I think that speaks volumes about who he is.”

Pollock got each of the first two Saturdays of the season off and has now been out of the lineup for three consecutive Sundays.

“He’s the manager,” Pollock said. “He runs the show. It’s not my job to dig into what he’s doing but really just to be ready if I’m coming off the bench.”

Tipping point

Lovullo stayed patient through left-hander Patrick Corbin’s long first inning on Saturday night, giving him a chance to escape the jam despite a mounting pitch count.

But Lovullo said he was getting close to thinking about getting his bullpen active and making a change.

“The 35-pitch range is when you start to get into some real danger for me,” Lovullo said.

Corbin threw 39 pitches in the first. Lovullo gave Corbin the chance to get himself out of the inning, and after Corbin threw six pitches in the second and only 11 more in the third, he felt better about leaving him out there.

“We would never put Patrick’s health in the way of making that type of a decision,” Lovullo said. “But we felt like he was going to show us what he could do and because he recovered so well we thought we would give him that opportunity.”

Impressive stuff

Right-hander Rubby De La Rosa tossed a scoreless inning for High-A Visalia on Friday, doing so with a fastball that was sitting in the upper-90s, manager Torey Lovullo said.

De La Rosa, who is being brought back slowly following the elbow problems that sidelined him for much of last year, has made just two appearances outside of extended spring training so far this season.

“From what I was told his stuff was very overpowering,” Lovullo said. “What I had was 96-99 mph. The reports had him sitting very aggressively with his fastball.”

Weighing options

The Diamondbacks were among the clubs to watch free-agent right-hander Doug Fister throw last week, General Manager Mike Hazen said, confirming a report Sunday morning by SB Nation.

“Looking at all internal and external options for the fifth spot,” Hazen said in a text message.

Fister, 33, spent last year with the Houston Astros, posting a 4.64 ERA in 180 1/3 innings. He stayed healthy and made 32 starts, but it was the second consecutive year Fister has posted subpar results.

In the previous four years before that, Fister rated among the league’s more effective starters, posting a combined 3.11 ERA in that stretch.

With right-hander Shelby Miller out for the year with elbow problems, the Diamondbacks have given one start apiece to right-handers Zack Godley and Braden Shipley. Godley is scheduled to pitch again on Wednesday against the Tigers.

Blanco in center, leading off

Gregor Blanco is playing in center field in place of A.J. Pollock and will bat leadoff for the Diamondbacks in Sunday’s game against the Rockies. Taijuan Walker will take the mound with first pitch scheduled for 12:10 p..m.

Sunday’s game

Diamondbacks at Rockies

When: 12:10 p.m.

Where: Coors Field, Denver.

Pitchers: Diamondbacks RHP Taijuan Walker (3-1, 4.19) vs. Rockies RHP Tyler Chatwood (2-4, 5.40).

TV/Radio: FSAZ/KMVP-FM (98.7), KHOV-FM (105.1).

Walker gave up three runs on five hits and five walks in 4 2/3 innings against the Nationals on Tuesday, a game the Diamondbacks won 6-3. … Walker has made one start in his career at Coors Field, allowing three runs in 7 1/3 innings in a game in 2015. … Walker has pitched well when opponents have had runners in scoring position, holding them to a .233 average and a .602 OPS in 38 plate appearances. … Chatwood has a 7.16 ERA in three starts at Coors Field and a 3.98 ERA in three starts on the road. … This will be his first start against the Diamondbacks this season, but he has a 4.39 ERA in 41 innings against them in his career. … Chatwood is averaging 95 mph with his fastball, up from 93.2 mph last year.

Coming up

Monday: Off.

Tuesday: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks LHP Robbie Ray (2-2, 3.47) vs. Tigers RHP Justin Verlander (2-2, 4.21).

Wednesday: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Zack Godley (0-0, 3.60) vs. Tigers LHP Matt Boyd (2-2, 3.78).

Thursday: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Zack Greinke (3-2, 3.09) vs. Pirates RHP Chad Kuhl (1-2, 5.54).