This story was originally published by Dead Spin
The Diamondbacks’ push to return to the postseason has hit a bump in Denver this week. Arizona has dropped the first two games of a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies, tightening the National League wild-card race.
The Diamondbacks will try to salvage the series finale when Eduardo Rodriguez (2-3, 5.50 ERA) takes the mound against Colorado’s Austin Gomber (5-10, 4.44) on Wednesday afternoon.
The Rockies’ 8-2 win on Tuesday night dropped Arizona (83-68) into a tie with the New York Mets (83-68) for the second NL wild card. Both are two games ahead of the Atlanta Braves (81-70).
The Tuesday result was the 535th win as Rockies manager for Bud Black, moving him past Clint Hurdle for the franchise record.
Rodriguez, who began the year on the injured list with a left shoulder strain, is slated to make his eighth start of the season. The Diamondbacks signed him last winter, and he didn’t make his season debut until Aug. 7 at Cleveland.
He won two of his first four starts but has lost his past three, most recently against Milwaukee on Friday. Rodriguez yielded two runs on five hits in five innings against the Brewers, striking out three and walking seven.
In three career starts against the Rockies, Rodriguez is 1-0 with a 6.19 ERA. He got a no-decision vs. Colorado on Aug. 13 after permitting three runs in five innings.
Rodriguez earned the win in his lone start at Colorado, when he gave up three runs in five innings for the Boston Red Sox on Aug. 28, 2019.
Arizona had scored 52 runs in the six games prior to coming to Denver, where batters usually have an advantage in the thin air. However, the Diamondbacks have scored just two runs in each of the first two games of the series.
“Offensively, these guys are always locked in,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “I want more patient approaches. I think that’s what we’re so good at.”
Runs might be tough to come by against Gomber, who has posted a 1.93 ERA in two September starts. He has tossed at least six innings in each of his past six outings, including a win at Atlanta on Sept. 5 when he tied his career high by going eight innings.
Gomber isn’t a high-strikeout pitcher — he averages four punchouts a start — and relies on his defense to get him deep into games.
“Gomber’s style is not like most,” manager Bud Black said recently. “There (are) obviously 150 starting pitchers out there in the big leagues, and there are some guys like Gomby, but there’s more guys with low to mid 90s velocity with harder secondary pitches and what people might refer to as better stuff. But Gomber’s stuff plays. It’s a good hook. It’s a tight slider. It’s a good changeup. So, his style is his style.”
The 30-year-old Florida native is 3-0 with a 5.04 ERA in 13 career appearances (nine starts) against the Diamondbacks, including an 0-0 mark with a 4.32 ERA in three starts this year. He last faced Arizona on Aug. 13 and had a no-decision in a 4-3 loss at Phoenix, allowing two runs on six hits over six innings.
–Field Level Media
