Elias Diaz’s homer lifts Rockies to their 12th walk-off win of season

Was determination ever immoderate doubt? You bet.

Then again, you should ne'er stake against LoDo Magic successful 2021.

Catcher Elias Diaz blasted a two-out, three-run walk-off homer to assistance the Rockies a 5-2 triumph implicit the Arizona Diamondbacks Saturday nighttime astatine Coors Field. It was the Rockies’ large league-best 12th walk-off win of the season.

Diaz battled right-hander J.B. Wendelken for 10 pitches, including six foul balls, earlier helium drove a slider to near field. Diaz has 3 walk-off hits this season, 2 of them location runs.

The rally began with a azygous by Charlie Blackmon and was extended by an infield chopper by Ryan McMahon that turned into a fortunate hit.

Colorado won its 5th consecutive game, matching its longest winning streak of the season, and improved to 43-21 astatine home. Since May 21, the Rockies are an astounding 30-9 astatine Coors Field, the champion location grounds successful the majors successful that span.

The Rockies person been unopen retired a franchise-record 15 times this season, with each of those goose eggs being laid connected the road. And they appeared to beryllium headed for shutout No. 16 — the archetypal astatine location — until Garrett Hampson deed a pinch-hit, two-run homer successful the eighth disconnected of reliever Noe Ramirez. After Diaz led disconnected the inning with a walk, Hampson blasted a first-pitch curveball to center, tying the crippled astatine 2-all. It was Hampson’s eighth homer of the year, his 2nd arsenic a pinch-hitter.

Rockies lefty Kyle Freeland, who seldom gets immoderate tally support, was fantabulous again. He matched his career-high with 10 strikeouts and allowed conscionable 2 runs connected six hits and 1 locomotion implicit 7 innings.

Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen was conscionable a wee spot better: 7 scoreless innings, 3 hits, 9 strikeouts and 1 walk. Still, Gallen has not recorded a triumph since April 25 astatine Atlanta, a drawstring of 13 starts without a victory.

D-backs near fielder Daulton Varsho yet cracked unfastened the scoreless crippled with a solo homer disconnected Freeland to pb disconnected the fifth. He took Freeland’s hanging, 1-2 slider the other mode to left-center. Arizona’s rally continued erstwhile Freeland walked Drew Ellis, who precocious connected Gallen’s sacrifice bunt and scored connected Ketel Marte’s azygous to center.

The crippled began arsenic a strikeout festival. Freeland whiffed six implicit his archetypal 3 innings, and Gallen did the same. In a one-two-three 2nd inning, Gallen struck retired Diaz, Sam Hilliard and Freeland successful succession.

Colorado’s best, and arsenic it turned out, past chance, to interruption done vs. Gallen came and went successful the archetypal inning. Singles by Brendan Rodgers and Charlie Blackmon acceptable the array for Trevor Story, but Gallen struck retired Story. C.J. Cron drew a locomotion to load the bases, and Gallen struck retired McMahon to extremity the threat.