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Rockies shut out D-Backs to open series

Jun 5, 2012 - 6:35 AM Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - Christian Friedrich tossed seven shutout innings and the Colorado Rockies blanked the Arizona Diamondbacks, 4-0, in the opener of a three-game set at Chase Field.

Friedrich (4-1) scattered four hits and fanned four while issuing just two walks to earn the win. Matt Belisle worked a scoreless eighth and Adam Ottavino closed it out in the ninth to finish off the victory.

"For a young kid where it wasn't quite right early on...it's a really good sign and it's really good to see," Colorado manager Jim Tracy said of Friedrich's outing.

Wilin Rosario went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two RBI and Marco Scutaro added an RBI on a sacrifice fly for the Rockies, who have won seven of their last eight games.

Aaron Hill, Paul Goldschmidt and Gerardo Parra ripped doubles for the Diamondbacks, but they were unable to push across a run as their modest two- game winning streak came to an end.

Joe Saunders (3-4) allowed four runs -- three earned -- on 11 hits and one walk while striking out three over 6 2/3 innings in the loss.

Colorado struck first in its first at-bat when Dexter Fowler began the game with a triple into the right-center field gap and trotted home on a sacrifice- fly by Scutaro for the 1-0 advantage.

The Rockies added two more runs in the second. Todd Helton got things off to a good start with a double and Jordan Pacheco singled to right. Rosario then beat out an infield hit, which allowed Helton to score. After DJ LeMahieu ripped a base hit to right, Pacheco was able to scamper home on a passed ball charged to Henry Blanco for a 3-0 lead.

Rosario gave the Rockies a 4-0 lead in the fourth when he crushed a fastball from Saunders deep and over the wall in right-center field.

Hill doubled to lead off the Arizona sixth and moved to third on a groundout by Justin Upton, but he was stranded there as Friedrich fanned Goldschmidt and Chris Young to end the inning.

Parra started the D-backs eighth with a double down the left-field line and Hill walked to put two runners on base, but again Arizona could not score as Belisle got Upton to ground into a fielder's choice before fanning Goldschmidt to keep the shutout intact.

Ottavino allowed a two-out single to Ryan Roberts in the ninth, but got Blanco to fly out to left to end the game.

"Its just a matter of me trying to throw up zeros," Saunders said, "We had a chance in the first inning, we didn't get the big hit, and then it was up to me to throw up a zero. I couldn't do it."

Game Notes

The Rockies snapped a five-game skid at Chase Field...Goldschmidt extended his hitting streak to 13 games...Colorado improved to 9-15 on the road this season...Arizona went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left eight on base, while the Rockies finished 3-for-9 with men in scoring position.