D-Backs maintain slim playoff hopes, beat Rockies 12-8 as Moreno, Arenado hit first-inning homers

DENVER (AP) — Gabriel Moreno and Nolan Arenado homered in a six-run first inning, and the Arizona Diamondbacks had a season-high 18 hits as they kept up their slim postseason chances with a 12-8 win over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday.

Arizona (85-74) began the day three games back for the final NL wild card with four games to play and went on to extend its winning streak to five heading into a weekend series at San Diego.

Moreno hit his 16th homer, a three-run drive, and Arenado hit his 29th, a two-run shot. Arenado, who had three hits, has eight homers in September and reached safely in 18 straight games.

Arizona had its most hits since 21 on June 20 last year, also at Coors Field.

Colorado has lost 16 of 19, getting swept for the 13th time this year, and dropped to a major league-worst 57-102, the third-most losses in club history. The Rockies are the first team with four straight 100-loss seasons since the 1962-65 New York Mets.

The Rockies have allowed a major league-high 137 runs in the first inning. Colorado had 17 hits, its most in a Coors Field loss since June 16, 2019, against San Diego.

A crowd of 22,511 attended the Coors Field season finale. The Rockies drew just under 2.25 million at home, down from 2.4 million last year and their lowest total in a non-COVID-impacted season since 2006.

Eduardo Rodriguez (16-7) allowed two runs and nine hits in six innings, finishing with a 2.89 ERA

Kyle Karros homered in the sixth and Cole Carrigg, who had four hits, hit a three-run homer off Dennis Santana in a four-run seventh.

Tanner Gordon (1-6) gave up double-digit hits for the third straight start, allowing 10 runs and 12 hits in 4 1/3 innings as his ERA rose to 6.68.

Arizona’s James McCann homered off Jimmy Herget.

Zac Veen hit a solo shot in the eighth for the Rockies and Karros had an inning-ending flyout to the wall with two on.

Up next

Diamondbacks: Brandon Pfaadt (7-3, 3.72) starts Friday.

Rockies: RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (12-11, 5.36) opens a three-game series at the Chicago White Sox and RHP Sean Burke (10-7, 3.40).

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