PHOENIX (AP) - The Arizona Diamondbacks got their hits, spraying balls all over Chase Field.
After a string of quality starts, the pitching wasn’t there to go with it.
Wade Miley labored through six innings and the Diamondbacks couldn’t keep up with big-hitting Colorado, losing 8-5 to the Rockies Monday night.
“They are a good-hitting ball club,” Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said. “They are hard to contain. You have to make good pitches on them.”
Led by Troy Tulowitzki, baseball’s best offense roughed up Miley (2-3) for seven extra-base hits in the first six innings, including a pair of homers.
Tulowitzki, who went 1 for 12 in a three-game series against the Dodgers, doubled in his first two at-bats and led off sixth with his sixth homer, finishing with three RBIs. Justin Morneau added a two-run shot later in the inning to extend his hitting streak to 12 games and Nolan Arenado had one of Colorado’s six doubles to stretch his hitting streak to a baseball-best 18 games.
The Rockies had 12 hits overall, eight for extra bases.
Franklin Morales (3-1) allowed four runs in five innings and LaTroy Hawkins worked a perfect ninth for his eighth straight save.
“We played good offensive baseball tonight,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. “Tulo had a (great) night and we played well offensively.”
It made for a rough night for the Diamondbacks.
Arizona had the hitting. Gerardo Parra homered, Miguel Montero drove in two runs and Paul Goldschmidt had three of the Diamondbacks’ 10 hits.
They just couldn’t overcome Miley’s rough start, losing their third straight since a three-game winning streak.
“They battled and we got out-battled,” Gibson said. “Those guys, you look up and down the board at their averages and we knew coming into the game they are swinging the bats very well.”
After some early-season struggles, Arizona had gotten four straight quality outings from its starters, who had allowed four earned runs in the previous 26 innings.
The Diamondbacks only won two of those, but it was a step in the right direction.
Miley had a hard time keeping it going against the baseball-bashing Rockies.
Colorado, which entered with a majors-best .294 team average, knocked around the left-hander from the start, racking up five doubles in the first four innings.
Gonzalez had the first one, driving in a run in the first inning before being thrown out trying to stretch to a triple.
Tulowitzki had a two-run two-bagger in the third inning and Jordan Pacheco drove in another run with a double in the fourth.
After Tulowitzki’s lead-off homer in the fifth inning, Morneau made it 7-4 with a two-run shot to the pool deck in right-center.
“It was weird. Feeling-wise I felt really good tonight,” Miley said. “Those guys are swinging well right now and I didn’t get the job done. It was on me.”
Miley allowed seven runs on 10 hits for his first lost (7-1) in 10 career games against the Rockies.
The Diamondbacks tried to keep up against Morales.
Parra hit a solo homer in the second inning, and Arizona added two more runs in the third on Montero’s sacrifice fly and a run-scoring single by Aaron Hill. Goldschmidt tied the game at 4-all on a groundout in the fourth.
Morales allowed seven hits.
Arizona cut the lead to 7-5 on Montero’s run-scoring single in the seventh inning, but Charlie Blackmon made it a three-run lead again with a sacrifice fly in the ninth.
NOTES: The Diamondbacks have a team-record 239 strikeouts the first two months of the season after striking out seven against Colorado. … Carlos Gonzalez is 2 for 19 during the Rockies’ four-game road trip after going 1 for 5 against the Diamondbacks. … Arizona RHP Mike Bolsinger will start Tuesday against Colorado after earning his first win in the majors against the Cubs on Thursday. He will face Colorado RHP Tyler Chatwood, who is 2-0 with a 3.65 ERA in three games against Arizona.
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