Diamondbacks Let Early Lead Slip Away in 3-2 Loss to Rockies

PHOENIX — For one inning Tuesday night at Chase Field, the Arizona Diamondbacks appeared ready to continue their recent surge at home.

Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte each launched solo home runs in the bottom of the first inning, giving Arizona an immediate 2-0 advantage over the Colorado Rockies.

Then the Diamondbacks' offense went quiet.

Colorado erased the deficit with Kyle Karros' two-run home run in the sixth inning before Mickey Moniak delivered the go-ahead sacrifice fly in the seventh, sending the Rockies to a 3-2 victory over Arizona in Game 2 of the three-game series.

The loss dropped the Diamondbacks to 64-57 and evened the series at one game apiece after Arizona took Monday night's opener.

A crowd of 21,002 watched the game at Chase Field, where the roof was closed with an outside temperature of 99 degrees and an indoor temperature of 75 degrees. The game lasted two hours and 32 minutes.

Corbin Carroll Wastes No Time Making an Impact

Diamondbacks starter Mitch Bratt opened the night by retiring Colorado in order in the first inning.

Jake McCarthy flew out to center field, Kyle Karros grounded out to third and Cole Carrigg struck out swinging, allowing Arizona's offense to immediately go to work.

Lars Nootbaar grounded out to begin the bottom of the first before Carroll stepped to the plate.

Carroll turned on a pitch from Rockies starter Tomoyuki Sugano and drove it over the wall in right-center field for his 17th home run of the season.

It was also the 99th home run of Carroll's career, putting him one swing away from reaching the 100-home run milestone.

The blast gave Arizona a 1-0 lead and extended Carroll's hitting streak to 16 games after he entered the night riding a 15-game streak.

Gabriel Moreno popped out for the second out, but the Diamondbacks weren't finished.

Marte followed with a solo home run to right field for his 21st homer of the season, quickly doubling Arizona's advantage to 2-0.

Nolan Arenado then ripped his first triple of the season to center field, putting Arizona in position to potentially break the game open.

Sugano escaped further damage when James McCann struck out swinging.

That missed opportunity would become increasingly important as the night progressed.

Diamondbacks Fail to Build on 2-0 Lead
Arizona continued to put runners on base but couldn't produce the hit needed to extend its advantage.

Tim Tawa singled to center to open the second inning and later stole second base for his fifth steal of the season, but he was stranded when Nootbaar flew out to left.

Moreno singled in the third, but Marte and Arenado were unable to bring him home.

Meanwhile, Bratt kept Colorado off the scoreboard.

Jordan Beck doubled down the third-base line to begin the third inning after the ball took a difficult bounce off third base and into left field. Connor Norby followed with a walk, giving Colorado two runners aboard with nobody out.

Bratt escaped.

Ezequiel Tovar fouled out to catcher James McCann on a failed bunt attempt before McCarthy grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Colorado threatened again in the fourth when Carrigg doubled to left, but Arenado turned Hunter Goodman's line drive into another double play to end the inning.

Bratt then delivered his cleanest inning of the night in the fifth.

Willi Castro flew out before Bratt struck out both Moniak and Beck, preserving Arizona's 2-0 advantage.

Kyle Karros Changes the Game With One Swing

The Diamondbacks were six outs away from handing a lead to the later innings when Colorado finally broke through against Bratt in the sixth.

Norby struck out looking to begin the inning before Tovar reached on an infield single.

McCarthy lined out to Marte at second, leaving Bratt one out away from another scoreless frame.

Karros changed everything.

The Rockies third baseman launched a two-run home run to tie the game at 2-2. It was Karros' 10th home run of the season and erased the lead Arizona had held since the first inning.

Carrigg flew out to left to end the inning, but momentum had shifted.

Arizona attempted to answer in the bottom half when Marte reached on an infield single. Karros and Tovar collided on the play, forcing Karros from the game. TJ Rumfield entered at first base while Castro moved to third.

The Diamondbacks couldn't capitalize.

Arenado grounded into a shortstop-to-second-to-first double play to end the inning.

Rockies Take the Lead Against Kevin Ginkel

Arizona turned the game over to Kevin Ginkel to begin the seventh inning.

Goodman immediately put Colorado in scoring position with a leadoff triple to center field.

Ginkel struck out Castro, giving the Diamondbacks an opportunity to escape the inning.

Moniak instead lifted a sacrifice fly to left, allowing Goodman to score the go-ahead run and giving Colorado its first lead of the night, 3-2.

Ginkel struck out Beck to end the inning, but the damage had been done.

The Diamondbacks had seven outs remaining to find an answer.

They never did.

Tawa singled to left in the bottom of the seventh and stole second for his sixth stolen base of the season, but Ryan Waldschmidt lined out to left to strand him.

Arizona went down in order against Brennan Bernardino in the eighth. Tyler Locklear pinch-hit for Nootbaar and struck out before Carroll flew out to left and Moreno flew out to right.

Diamondbacks Get One Final Chance in the Ninth

Taylor Clarke delivered a perfect eighth inning for Arizona before Juan Morillo kept Colorado off the scoreboard in the ninth.

That gave the Diamondbacks one final opportunity against Rockies closer Jordan Romano.

Marte popped out to third for the first out.

Arenado kept Arizona alive by singling to left, and manager Torey Lovullo immediately turned to Jorge Barrosa as a pinch runner.

McCann lined out to right, leaving Arizona down to its final out.

With Tawa at the plate, Barrosa stole second base for his second steal of the season, moving the potential tying run into scoring position.

Tawa had a chance to send Chase Field into a frenzy.

Romano won the battle.

Tawa struck out swinging to end the game, leaving Barrosa at second and sealing Colorado's 3-2 victory.

Early Home Runs Aren't Enough for Arizona

The frustrating part of Tuesday night's loss for Arizona will be how quickly the offense established control and how little it produced afterward.

Carroll and Marte homered in the first inning. Arenado followed Marte's blast with a triple. At that point, Arizona had a 2-0 lead and appeared poised to put significant pressure on Sugano.

Instead, those two solo home runs accounted for every Diamondbacks run.

Arizona had opportunities throughout the night but repeatedly came up empty with runners aboard.

Tawa reached twice and stole two bases. Moreno recorded a hit. Marte added a single to his first-inning homer.

Arenado had a triple and a ninth-inning single.

None resulted in another run.

The Diamondbacks' inability to produce insurance runs eventually opened the door for Colorado's comeback.

Sugano Earns His 12th Victory

Sugano recovered impressively after surrendering the back-to-back damage from Carroll and Marte in the opening inning.

The Rockies right-hander kept Arizona from adding another run and ultimately earned the victory to improve to 12-5.
Ginkel took the loss for Arizona, falling to 5-4 after allowing the go-ahead run in the seventh.

Romano earned his 11th save by working around Arenado's ninth-inning single and Barrosa's stolen base.

For Arizona, it was a missed opportunity to clinch another home series against Colorado and continue building momentum at Chase Field.

Instead, everything comes down to Wednesday afternoon.

Diamondbacks and Rockies Set for Rubber Match

The three-game series is now tied 1-1, setting up a rubber match Wednesday at Chase Field.

Arizona will turn to right-hander Merrill Kelly (8-9, 4.88 ERA), while Colorado is scheduled to counter with right-hander Ryan Feltner (4-6, 5.71 ERA).

First pitch is scheduled for 12:40 p.m. Arizona time.

For the Diamondbacks, the objective is straightforward: put Tuesday night's missed opportunities behind them, win the series and continue the push through the final weeks of the 2026 season.

Carroll will also enter Wednesday sitting on 99 career home runs, giving Diamondbacks fans another milestone to watch as Arizona looks to take the series.

Tuesday belonged to Colorado.

Wednesday will determine who leaves Chase Field with the series.

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Nolan Arenado’s Grand Slam Powers D-backs to 9-0 Win 
Diamondbacks Beat Dodgers 4-2 to Win Statement Series Over Los Angeles 

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