Willis impresses in first start for D-backs

Dontrelle Willis got his first start for his new team tonight as they took on division rivals Colorado Rockies. Willis looked more like the 2003-2006 version of D-Train than he did the Detroit Tigers version.

Willis lasted six innings allowing five hits and three strikeouts. Walks have been an issue with Willis in recent years and tonight he did allow four in his outing. Carlos Rosa who had been one of the more consistent relievers for the D-backs this year almost blew the game allowing three runs to score on three hits and two walks in his .2 innings. Aaron Heilman did come in for Rosa in the seventh to get the last out of the seventh and would pitch the eighth getting the hold and Chad Qualls would have his first good outing in over a week getting the save.

Ryan Roberts would would pinch hit for Willis in the sixth and hit a two-run double scoring Chris Young and Conor Jackson. Kelly Johnson would then knock in Roberts giving the D-backs the 4-0 lead heading into the seventh.

The D-backs go for the sweep tomorrow when they send Rodrigo Lopez to the mound to face the best pitcher in baseball this year Ubaldo Jimenez.

D-backs Snap Skid With Exciting Win

The Arizona Diamondbacks kicked off their long home stand against the Colorado Rockies as the looked to snap their ten game losing streak. The game would begin promptly in the favor of the Rockies as Carlos Gonzalez would hit a solo shot in the first inning to give Colorado the lead. At the bottom of the first, the D-backs would bounce back with the help of Justin Upton as he would nail a two-run homer to give the D-backs the lead for the game. The Rockies would come back in the third inning by driving in two more runs to regain the lead. In the bottom of the third, the D-backs would tie the game back up at three. Read more

D-backs extend losing streak to four

The Arizona Diamondbacks were trying to snap a three game losing streak when they sent Dan Haren to the mound against the Colorado Rockies. A win would also mean the D-backs only lost one game to the Rockies and not three games during the series of games. Instead Dan Haren allowed four homes and the D-backs recorded their fourth loss in a row after winning four in a row.

Dan Haren is having anything but his typical start to the season. With this loss he has slipped to 5-4 with a 5.35 ERA and has allowed 16 home runs in 11 games. Ten in his last three games.

The D-backs have now allowed 82 homers on the season, compare that to the 31 the Rockies have allowed. The worst came in the seventh inning as Haren allowed back-to-back-to-back homers.

The offense also continued to struggle scoring only two runs in the game. Both runs came in the sixth inning on RBIs by Chris Young and Chris Snyder. Stephen Drew continues to be the most consistent bat going 2-for-3 on the day with a walk and is now hitting .310.

The D-backs home to right the course tomorrow as they head to San Francisco.

D-backs fall to Rockies in 3-2 game

Arizona Diamondbacks starter Ian Kennedy did all he could to keep his team in the game against the Colorado Rockies, but the D-backs fell just short. Kennedy fell to 3-3 on the season with a 3.41 ERA after only lasting five innings. Kennedy allowed three earned runs on five hits and four walks while surrendering two homers.

Kennedy allowed two of the three runs on homers. The first homer came in the two-run second off Brad Hawpe’s bat. Kennedy also allowed a solo shot to Troy Tulowitzki in the third.

The D-backs got on the board in the sixth inning when Conor Jackson drove in Kelly Johnson with a double. Jackson would then score the second run of the inning off the bat of Justin Upton.

The D-backs are now 20-26 on the season in last place in the NL west 6 games in back of San Diego and 3.5 games behind the fourth place Rockies.

After jumping out to a 6-0 lead D-backs need to rally in 10th to win

After splitting the first two games of the series, division rivals Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies  played a day game today to decide who would take the series win. Arizona sent Kris Benson to the mound in the bottom of the first inning with a 6-0 lead. Chris Young had the big hit in the first inning with a three run homer off starter Greg Smith. On the day Young was 2-for-4 with a walk and five RBIs.

Benson entered the third inning of work with a 6-1 lead. The Rockies were able to get the bases loaded in the third inning before Benson was able to record an out. Benson was then removed from the game with soreness in his shoulder. Leo Rosales relieved Benson and by the time the inning was over the Rockies had a 7-6 lead. The Rockies would add another four in the fourth off Rosales and before you knew it the 6-0 lead had turned into an 11-6 deficit for Arizona. After Rosales was removed the bullpen buckled down and held the Rockies scoreless for the next six innings.

The D-backs got three runs back in the top of the fifth inning and two in the eight to force an 11-11 tie which it would remain into the 10th. Kelly Johnson hit his eighth homer of the year to lead off the 10th inning and giving the D-backs a 12-11 lead. Juan Gutierrez would come on in the 10th and set the Rockies down in order recording his first save of the year.

The D-backs now head to Chicago for a series against the Cubs.

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