Tale of two teams: Stumbling Rockies swept by red-hot Diamondbacks

First, the ugly small picture.

The Rockies lost 11-4 to the Diamondbacks Wednesday afternoon at Chase Field as the D-backs completed a three-game sweep and won their season-high sixth straight game.

Colorado rookie starter Tanner Gordon failed to get out of the first inning, the Rockies committed three errors over the first two innings, and D-backs’ right-hander Jordan Montgomery (who entered the game with a 6.37 ERA) dominated Colorado for five of his six innings.

After the Rockies cut Arizona’s lead to 6-3 in the top of the sixth, Eugenio Suarez hit a grand slam off reliever Riley Pint in the bottom of the frame to ice the game. Pint, the fourth overall pick in 2016, hit two batters and walked another before Suarez clobbered a first-pitch slider for the slam.

Pint’s inability to command his fastball allowed Suarez to ambush the slider. In his limited time this season (four games, 3 1/3 innings), Pint has a 21.60 ERA.

Now for the ugly big picture:

These are two National League West teams heading in opposite directions. Arizona (69-53) lost 110 games in 2021, was a surprise World Series team last year, and is threatening to overtake the mighty Dodgers in the NL West this season. The D-backs have won 24 of their last 30 games.

The Rockies (44-78) lost a franchise-high 102 games last season and are on pace to lose 104 games this season. Since 2023, the D-backs are 18-5 against the Rockies, including 12-2 at Chase.

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The Rockies are off on Thursday before opening a three-game series against the Padres on Friday at Coors Field.

Pitching probables

Thursday: Off

Friday: Padres RHP Matt Waldron (7-9, 4.00 ERA) at Rockies RHP Cal Quantrill (7-8, 4.56), 6:40 p.m.

Saturday: Padres RHP Dylan Cease (11-9, 3.41) at Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (3-4, 5.75), 6:10 p.m.

Sunday: Padres RHP Joe Musgrove (3-4, 5.20) at Rockies RHP Bradley Blalock (0-0, 4.05), 1:10 p.m.

— Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post

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