Rockies at Diamondbacks
Arizona's eight-game losing streak to Colorado is a distant memory as the host Diamondbacks try for a three-game sweep of the Rockies on Sunday. Arizona has outscored Colorado 12-2 in the first two contests after Saturday's 4-2 victory gave the visitors five straight losses - their longest slide since dropping eight in a row in April - while shining a brighter light on an eye-popping home/road hitting discrepancy.
Colorado is batting .314 at Coors Field - the best home average in baseball by 39 points over Atlanta - and .222 on the road, second-worst among National League teams. The Diamondbacks are hitting their stride at Chase Field, where they've won five of their last six, and - like the Rockies - are two games out of a wild-card spot. Arizona closer Greg Holland was given a vote of confidence by manager Torey Lovullo despite blowing consecutive save opportunities at Dodger Stadium earlier this week and delivered Saturday, although the tying run reached base twice in the ninth inning. Alex Young hopes to continue the promising start to his career when he takes the mound in his home debut for the Diamondbacks opposite German Marquez, whose 3.06 road ERA is 2.67 lower than his mark at home.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountain (Colorado), FS Arizona
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH German Marquez (8-3, 4.38 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks LH Alex Young (1-0, 1.23)
Marquez escaped with a no-decision after allowing five runs - four earned - and eight hits with seven strikeouts in six innings of Colorado's 9-8 loss to Houston on Tuesday. The 24-year-old Venezuelan yielded three runs over 13 frames in his previous two road starts - a 6-3 victory at San Francisco on June 26 and a no-decision in the Rockies' 4-2 loss at Los Angeles on June 21. Eduardo Escobar is 5-for-8 with a home run and three RBIs versus Marquez, who is 3-4 with a 4.42 ERA in 14 career games (13 starts) against the Diamondbacks after a no-decision on May 5 in which he permitted five runs over six innings.
Young pitched 2 1/3 perfect innings of relief in Arizona's 5-4 loss at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday in his second career appearance. The 25-year-old native of Illinois who was a second-round pick in the 2015 draft recorded the victory at San Francisco on June 27 after allowing one run and three hits with five strikeouts in five frames. "He’s done everything he can possibly do to put his name in the ring and be a strong consideration for another start,” Lovullo told reporters. “He did everything he was supposed to do.''
WALK-OFFS
1. The Rockies have gone 4-10 since sweeping three at Arizona from June 18-20.
2. Arizona 3B Jake Lamb on Saturday homered for the first time since June 25, 2018 - a span of 34 games - as he's played in only 70 contests over the last two campaigns because of injuries.
3. Colorado RF Charlie Blackmon went 1-for-4 on Saturday, raising his average to .233 on the road compared to .460 at home.