A new three-game series kicks off on Monday in the National League West as the Colorado Rockies (43-75, 5th NL West) face the Arizona Diamondbacks (65-53, 3rd NL West). The Rockies are wrapping up a home series against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday after splitting the first two matches. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks are concluding a four-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies, having won two of the first three games at home (Note: This article was published before Sunday’s results). Arizona currently leads the season series against Colorado 5-2. The Rockies have not yet announced their starting pitcher as Cal Quantrill is sidelined with an injury. Arizona will send Brandon Pfaadt (3.92 ERA) to the mound. The game is set to start at 9:40 EST at Chase Field in Arizona.
Rockies Strive to Maintain Competitive Spirit
Despite being among the lower ranks in the MLB, the Colorado Rockies are demonstrating resilience. They are currently tied with the Miami Marlins for the worst record in the National League, with only the Chicago White Sox in the American League faring worse. The Rockies haven’t swept an opponent since mid-May but have been able to avoid being swept in recent series. Their last three matchups were against formidable teams: the San Diego Padres, New York Mets, and Atlanta Braves. In each series, they managed to secure at least one victory. In their latest game against the Braves, Ezequiel Tovar contributed two RBIs, though the Rockies ultimately fell in an 11-8 shootout.
Tovar is quickly emerging as a key player for Colorado, and fans are hopeful the team will retain him rather than trade him for prospects. This 23-year-old shortstop has recorded 19 home runs and 55 RBIs, boasting the highest batting average on the team at .278. Another standout, Brenton Doyle, currently leads the Rockies with 20 home runs and 59 RBIs. He hit a home run in the recent series against the Braves and has amassed four RBIs in his last three games. Doyle plays center field and typically bats third in the lineup. Ryan McMahon, an All-Star this season, has seen a dip in production recently, with only one RBI and no home runs in his last five games. He has 16 home runs and 52 RBIs this season, often batting cleanup.
Cal Quantrill was expected to start this matchup but will be out due to forearm soreness. Fortunately, it seems he won’t require a trip to the injured list. The Rockies will either utilize a backup pitcher or implement a bullpen strategy in this game. Unfortunately, they currently hold the worst team ERA in baseball at 5.55, significantly trailing the 29th place White Sox, who have a 4.83 ERA.
Diamondbacks Display Dominance Against Phillies
The Diamondbacks recently faced the Philadelphia Phillies, a top contender in the National League, in a four-game series. Arizona managed to win the second and third games, ensuring they would not lose the series heading into Sunday. The Diamondbacks are closing the gap on the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West, with only a 2.5-game difference separating them from the Padres and a 3.5-game gap to the Diamondbacks. Currently, Arizona occupies the second Wild Card spot in the playoff standings. In Saturday’s game against the Phillies, Jake McCarthy shined with two home runs and four RBIs, contributing to a decisive 11-1 victory.
McCarthy’s home runs came in the fifth and seventh innings, marking his fifth and sixth of the season. Batting sixth in the lineup, he holds a .298 batting average for the season. Ketel Marte also made headlines by hitting his 30th home run, leading the team, and accumulating 81 RBIs with a .299 average. After taking a hard slide from Garrett Stubbs of the Phillies, Marte exited the game in the fourth inning but assured fans, “I’ll be ready to play Monday.” Corbin Carroll, batting leadoff, delivered three RBIs during Saturday’s game, adding to his season totals of 10 home runs, 44 RBIs, and a league-leading 21 stolen bases.
Brandon Pfaadt is set to make his 24th start of the season. As a 25-year-old right-hander with a 6-6 record, he has pitched 20 more innings than any other Diamondbacks pitcher this season. His current ERA stands at 3.92, accompanied by an impressive 124 strikeouts against 29 walks, having allowed 16 home runs so far. In his last outing, Pfaadt pitched 6.1 innings, yielding two earned runs against the Cleveland Guardians, securing a win for his team.
Best Bets for Colorado Rockies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks have triumphed in the last three games started by Brandon Pfaadt, consistently covering the runline in each of those contests. In the preceding two games, he did not allow a single run in a combined 13 innings against the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves. The only loss during this stretch occurred when the bullpen allowed two runs after Pfaadt exited. Earlier this season, he faced the Rockies once, allowing just one run over five innings, resulting in a remarkable 1.80 ERA. Now, with the Rockies scrambling to find a replacement for Quantrill, their pitching situation looks less favorable. Any substitute will likely struggle against Pfaadt, and a bullpen game could spell trouble for the Rockies, who hold the worst ERA in the MLB. Given Arizona’s strong performance against the Phillies, they are expected to dominate this series opener against Colorado.
