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Arizona Diamondbacks at Colorado Rockies

By JR·2 min read
Arizona DiamondbacksARI(84-74)
Colorado RockiesCOL(57-101)
AT
1:10 PM MT

TLDR: Arizona came to Denver needing wins, not style points, and has taken the first 2 of the series. One more Thursday afternoon, and the Rockies have little left to play for except making a contender work for it.

THU SEP 24, 1:10 PM
Spread
WIN
Total
Diamondbacks
(84-74)
WWWWL
Rockies
(57-101)
LLLWL

Arizona has won the first 2 of the series in Denver and needs every remaining win to catch the Phillies and Cubs in the NL wild-card race. Eduardo Rodriguez's strong season meets a Rockies starter with a 12.34 ERA this month, and the main questions are whether Rodriguez bounces back from a rough start against the Yankees and how much of the game Colorado's bullpen has to cover.

Diamondbacks
  • Won the first 2 of this series, 7-2 and 5-3
  • Rodriguez 15-7, 2.89 on the season
  • Won 4 straight, 3 back in wild-card race
  • Rodriguez allowed 7 ER, 4 BB vs Yankees last start
  • Bullpen without Puk, Thompson, Saalfrank, Mena
Rockies
  • Gordon gets ahead in counts, per Schaeffer
  • Beat Seattle 5-3 during the last homestand
  • Gordon: 12.34 ERA, 28 hits in September
  • Lost 3 straight, 5 runs in 2 games vs Arizona
  • Castro and Bryant out of the lineup

Eduardo Rodriguez (15-7, 2.89) gets the ball for Arizona against Tanner Gordon (1-5, 6.01) in a 1:10 PM MT matinee. Rodriguez's season line holds up, but his last start against the Yankees was his worst: 7 earned runs and 4 walks in 5.1 innings. Gordon's September has been much worse. He has a 12.34 ERA over 3 starts this month, and San Diego scored 7 off him in 3 innings last time out, 43 of his pitches coming in the second inning alone.

Eduardo Rodriguez
Eduardo Rodriguez
(15-7)·2.89 ERA
Sep 18 vs Yankees
L
5.1IP
7ER
5K
4BB
103P
09/24 Lineup
Tanner Gordon
Tanner Gordon
(1-5)·6.01 ERA
Sep 17 vs Padres
L
3.0IP
7ER
3K
2BB
86P
09/24 Lineup

Warren Schaeffer's diagnosis is specific. Gordon "gets ahead better than anybody," his manager said, but he can't finish hitters with 2 strikes, and that has added up to 28 hits over 11.2 innings with only 12 strikeouts. Arizona's lineup punishes that kind of pitcher. Gabriel Moreno drove in runs in Wednesday's 5-3 win. The market has the Diamondbacks as a clear road favorite, which is about right for a contender facing a starter in this shape.

The stakes are one-sided. Wednesday's win pulled Arizona to 84-74, within 3 games of the Phillies and Cubs for an NL wild card with the calendar nearly out. Colorado is 57-101. The Rockies went past 100 losses this week, and the 100-loss season Schaeffer's club had been trying to avoid in mid-September is now locked in.

Arizona Diamondbacks
(84-74)
09/23W@Rockies5-3
09/22W@Rockies7-2
09/20WvsYankees8-4
09/19WvsYankees5-3
09/18LvsYankees2-9
Colorado Rockies
(57-101)
09/23LvsDiamondbacks3-5
09/22LvsDiamondbacks2-7
09/20LvsMariners1-2
09/19WvsMariners5-3
09/18LvsMariners4-5

The series has gone the way the records say it should. Arizona won the opener 7-2 and held on 5-3 on Wednesday, and has won 4 straight after dropping the first game against the Yankees. Colorado has 5 runs in 2 games against Arizona pitching and has lost 3 straight. The Rockies did take a 5-3 game off Seattle during the last homestand, so they can still win at Coors. They just haven't hit enough to do it against Arizona.

Arizona Diamondbacks
(5)
  • 60-Day-ILTyler Locklear (1B) — The Diamondbacks optioned Locklear to Triple-A Reno on Monday.09/12
  • 60-Day-ILRyan Thompson (RP) — The Diamondbacks transferred Thompson (back) to the 60-day IL on Tuesday.09/01
  • 60-Day-ILA.J. Puk (RP) — Puk (elbow/shoulder) will remain shut down for the remainder of the season.08/07
  • 60-Day-ILAndrew Saalfrank (RP) — Saalfrank (shoulder) has begun a throwing program.07/18
  • 60-Day-ILCristian Mena (RP) — Mena underwent surgery on his right shoulder and will be sidelined for the rest of the season.06/01
Colorado Rockies
(7)
  • 10-Day-ILWilli Castro (2B) — Castro (heel/knee) said Wednesday that he will miss the remainder of the 2026 season.09/17
  • 60-Day-ILChase Dollander (SP) — Dollander underwent an internal brace procedure on his right elbow Monday.06/23
  • 60-Day-ILWelinton Herrera (RP) — Herrera (elbow) has been diagnosed with a torn UCL and will miss the remainder of the season.06/02
  • 60-Day-ILMcCade Brown (SP) — Brown (shoulder) had been scheduled to throw a live bullpen session this weekend.06/01
  • 60-Day-ILRJ Petit (RP) — The Rockies transferred Petit (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Thursday.05/08
  • 60-Day-ILPierson Ohl (RP) — The Rockies placed Ohl (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.05/08
  • 60-Day-ILKris Bryant (DH) — The ongoing pain in his back continues to prevent him from participating in baseball activities, though he's still consulting with doctors and trainers for potential rehab options.05/08

Both injury lists are long, and both hit the pitching. Arizona's bullpen is without A.J. Puk, Ryan Thompson, Andrew Saalfrank and Cristian Mena, which is why a deep start from Rodriguez matters more than the win-loss line suggests. Colorado is playing out the year without Willi Castro, who said he's done for the season, and without Kris Bryant. It's 74 and cloudy at Coors with a light 5 mph wind, so the weather won't change much. This comes down to whether Gordon can get a hitter out with 2 strikes and whether Rodriguez throws strikes the way he did before the Yankees start.

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