PHOENIX (AP) - With all the big bats in Colorado’s lineup, it was Drew Stubbs who provided the biggest swing in the Rockies’ latest victory.
Stubbs hit his first home run of the season, off closer Addison Reed in the ninth inning, to lift Colorado over the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-4 on Tuesday night.
Troy Tulowitzki had his second big game in a row in Arizona, hitting a two-run homer to put the Rockies up 4-3 in the sixth. A.J. Pollock tied it with a two-out home run in the eighth.
Stubbs, who entered in a double switch in the eighth, hit a 2-2 pitch from Reed (0-2) into the right field seats, his first homer in 43 at-bats this year. He also chased down Eric Chavez’s drive in deep center to end the game.
“Coming in and facing their closer, one of their best guys in the back end of the bullpen, you just hope he makes a mistake and you get a good pitch to hit,” Stubbs said. “That last one was a slider out over the plate and I was able to put a good swing on it.”
Reed got ahead 0-2 on Stubbs.
“I was feeling good, but once again a terrible slider in the zone,” Reed said. “It was supposed to be down and away. I left it over the middle of the plate. He made me pay for it.”
Boone Logan (1-0) gave up Pollock’s homer but got the victory. LaTroy Hawkins allowed two hits in a scoreless ninth for his ninth save.
Colorado won its fourth series in a row.
“I think right now you see signs of a group that comes together and understands how important it is to win,” Tulowitzki said. “I think you see young guys buying in to doing things right to win the game. That’s what we’ve been trying to accomplish here the last few years, but I think this group has a firm grip on that.”
The Diamondbacks dropped their fourth straight, all at home, to fall to 2-13 at Chase Field this season.
Colorado starter Tyler Chatwood left in the sixth with tightness in his right elbow.
Tulowitzki also had a single and scored twice. In the first two games of the series, he is 5 for 6 with five RBIs and two home runs. He’s also walked three times, meaning he’s reached base in eight of his nine plate appearances.
“He’s in a good place,” Colorado manager Walt Weiss said. “He’s hitting the ball all over the field and very hard. He’s a great player.”
Colorado’s Nolan Arenado had an RBI single to extend his hitting streak to 19 games, longest in the majors this season. Justin Morneau’s RBI triple extended his hitting streak to 13 games.
Trailing 3-2, Colorado took the lead with two runs in the sixth.
Carlos Gonzalez led off with a double to right, then Tulowitzki hit Mike Bolsinger’s 0-1 pitch into the swimming pool area beyond the right field fence to make it 4-3.
Arizona batters had struck out four straight times when, with two outs in the eighth, Pollock hit Logan’s 0-1 pitch high off the foul pole in left field to tie it at 4.
Arizona scored two in the second. Miguel Montero led off with a double, went to third when Chatwood threw wildly on a pickoff attempt and scored on Aaron Hill’s sacrifice fly. Chavez walked, then scored from first on Chris Owings’ two-out double down the left field line.
The Rockies tied it with two in the fourth. With two outs, Tulowitzki singled and scored on Morneau’s triple to right, where the ball bounced away from Gerardo Parra. Arenado singled up the middle to bring Morneau home.
The Diamondbacks regained the lead, 3-2, in the third. Hill doubled with one out and scored when Chavez singled.
Bolsinger left after giving up four straight hits to start the sixth, including Gonzalez’s leadoff double and Tulowitzki’s homer. With runners at first and second and no outs, reliever Oliver Perez got Corey Dickerson to pop out, then struck out Jordan Pacheco and Chatwood.
The Diamondbacks loaded the bases against Chatwood with no outs in the sixth and got nothing out of it. Hill walked, Chavez singled and Pollock walked. That brought the Rockies’ trainer to the mound and ended the night for Chatwood.
Chris Martin, in his second major league appearance, got Owings to bounce to third for a force at home, then pinch-hitter Roger Kieschnick struck out and Tony Campana bounced out to third.
NOTES: Owings made a spectacular diving catch of Pacheco’s foul pop behind third base to end the Colorado eighth. … The Diamondbacks said top pitching prospect Archie Bradley will be shut down for two weeks with a strained right elbow, then will begin a throwing program. Bradley was struggling at 1-4 with a 5.18 ERA for Triple-A Reno. … In the series finale Wednesday night, Colorado sends Jordan Lyles (3-0, 2.93 ERA) to the mound against Arizona’s Josh Collmenter (1-2, 3.38). … The Rockies are 4-1 with one game left on their road trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix.
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