Merrill Kelly throws 1st career complete game, Diamondbacks beat Rockies 9-1

DENVER (AP) — Merrill Kelly threw his first career complete game, Ildemaro Vargas was 4 for 5 with a double and two RBIs and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Colorado Rockies 9-1 on Friday night.

Kelly (3-3) allowed four hits and had three strikeouts without a walk. The 37-year-old right-hander threw 100 pitches, 73 for strikes, in the fourth complete game in the majors this season.

He’s the oldest pitcher to throw a complete game in the big leagues since St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright in 2022. Kelly is also the second-oldest pitcher in D-backs history to accomplish the feat behind Randy Johnson.

Gabriel Moreno drove in three runs, and Ryan Waldschmidt had two RBIs as Arizona opened a stretch of 13 games against only the Rockies and San Francisco Giants. The Diamondbacks are 21-22.

Moreno and Corbin Carroll added two hits apiece, and Nolan Arenado went 1 for 1 with an RBI double and four walks.

Vargas hit a run-scoring single that sparked Arizona’s six-run first inning.

Colorado’s Kyle Freeland (1-5) gave up seven runs and eight hits and walked four in 3 2/3 innings.

Hunter Goodman hit his 11th homer of the season in the first for the Rockies. Moniak and Ezequiel Tovar each doubled.

Arizona made it 2-1 in the seventh on Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s sacrifice fly and Moreno’s double.

Up next

Arizona LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (4-0, 2.25 ERA) was scheduled to start Saturday against Tomoyuki Sugano (3-3, 4.07).

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