PHOENIX (AP) — Brad Ziegler has been as effective a closer as the Arizona Diamondbacks have had in recent years, with 33 consecutive save chances converted and six straight scoreless appearances.
Then came Saturday night. Ziegler was charged with three runs in the top of the ninth inning as the Colorado Rockies broke a tie against him and beat Arizona 5-2.
Trevor Story's two-run triple was the tiebreaking hit that put Colorado up 4-2. Story, who'd hurt the Diamondbacks with home runs in the four previous meetings between the two teams this season, doubled, tripled and drove in three for the Rockies, who have won four of five in Arizona this year.
"A sinker, down and in. Not like in in, but lower third," Ziegler said of Story's key hit. "That's not a pitch that a lot of guys hit down the first base line. You just kind of tip your hat and move on.
"Everybody has nights like that occasionally, but at the same time I felt like I made pitches tonight," he added.
Carlos Gonzalez had three of the Rockies' 13 hits and Nolan Arenado drove in a third run in the ninth off Ziegler (1-1).
Chad Qualls (2-0) earned the win for one scoreless inning of relief and Jake McGee pitched the ninth for his fifth save.
Diamondbacks ace Zack Greinke kept his team in the game with seven innings of work. Greinke limited the Rockies to two runs and eight hits, striking out eight and walking two.
Greinke got little run support, and until the Diamondbacks scored in the sixth they went 18 innings without a run dating back to Thursday's game against St. Louis. Brandon Drury's two-run home run in the sixth tied the score at 2.
The Rockies scored first, with the rookie sensation Story doubling to center field to drive in Charlie Blackmon in the third inning. Then former Arizona player Gerardo Parra lined a base hit to left field, and Story beat the throw home to make it 2-0.
"The kid (Story) keeps doing it. That's a tough at-bat against a guy like that (in the ninth," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. We put together some at-bats in tough situations."
"Just trying to make as good pitches as possible. Felt pretty good ever since the first game of the season," Greinke said. "Made a hanging slider to Story, that was a really bad pitch. Two runs because of a bad pitch."
Jean Segura stole a hit from Mark Reynolds in the fourth when the Diamondbacks second baseman backhand-caught a sinking pop fly to shallow left-center field with four Arizona players converging on the ball.
The Diamondbacks finally broke through in the sixth when Drury homered to left off Rockies reliever Carlos Estevez with Segura on base. Arizona managed only five hits in the game, two in the bottom of the ninth.
"The truth of the matter is they're outplaying us. They've come into our ballpark and they're playing really good baseball," Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale said. "So just got to suck it up and tell it like it is. ... We have to come back tomorrow and try to salvage one of these games before the long road trip."
Chris Rusin, making his first start after four relief appearances this season, pitched five strong innings. The left-hander held the Diamondbacks scoreless on one hit and struck out six with three walks.
A SUCCESSFUL DEBUT
The Diamondbacks selected left-hander Zac Curtis from Single-A Visalia before Saturday's game and designated reliever Keith Hessler for assignment. Curtis, 23, made his major league debut in relief of Ziegler and induced an inning-ending double play.
"We've been going through so many pitchers, this is the guy that our player development people ... they're excited," Hale said. "What we've heard is he can get righties and lefties out."
The plan is to add a left-hander to complement Andrew Chafin in the bullpen so as not over-use Chafin.
RUFF, RUFF, RECORD
The Diamondbacks are hoping to earn a place in the Guinness World Records for most dogs attending a sporting event on Sunday. The team said 1,000 dogs are needed to set the world record. A Guinness World Records adjudicator will count the dogs at Chase Field on Sunday and the record is expected to be known by the end of the second inning.
UP NEXT
Rockies: RHP Chad Bettis (2-1) begins May starting against the Diamondbacks in the series finale on Sunday. Bettis gave up five runs in 5 1-3 innings in his first outing against Arizona on April 5 in Phoenix.
Diamondbacks: Shelby Miller looks for his first win Sunday against Colorado. Miller (0-2, 8.69 ERA) is 2-2 with a 4.84 ERA in six career starts against the Rockies.
