Rockies 7 - 5 Diamondbacks
Final
  for this game

Arizona relies on McCarthy in opener with Rockies

Sep 13, 2013 - 3:55 PM (Sports Network) - Brandon McCarthy looks to secure a second straight victory on Friday night as the Arizona Diamondbacks kick off a three-game set versus the Colorado Rockies.

McCarthy is coming off a win last Saturday against the San Francisco Giants. He gave up one run on six hits and a walk in eight innings of work one start after he lasted nine frames in a complete-game loss to Toronto.

The right-hander, sidelined for 57 games earlier this year due to a shoulder injury, is 4-9 with a 4.66 earned run average in 18 starts this season.

"Since he's been hurt he's come back and really worked hard," said Arizona manager Kirk Gibson about McCarthy. "He's been pitching really well for us lately after making some adjustments. He's throwing the ball more natural now."

In his first season with Arizona, the 30-year-old McCarthy is 0-1 in two starts versus the Rockies in 2013. He has given up 10 runs and 17 hits without a walk over 12 innings.

McCarthy follows up an excellent outing from Patrick Corbin in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Corbin gave up a run on eight hits over 6 1/3 innings, snapping both a personal three-start slide and Arizona's three- game losing streak.

Paul Goldschmidt helped out with four hits and a pair of RBI for a Diamondbacks club that is nine games back of the second wild card spot in the NL.

"We got runs early and a great pitching performance from Patrick," Gibson said.

The Rockies finish up a nine-game road trip with this series and have lost five of the first six contests of the swing. The picked up a victory on Tuesday over San Francisco, but lost Wednesday's finale of a three-game set 4-3.

The Giants rallied from two runs down by plating three runs over the seventh and eighth inning.

"I told our guys that sometimes the reward you get for playing hard is getting your heart broken. You play a lot of close games and a lot of tough games. Inevitably you're going to lose some tough games and that's how it goes," said Rockies manager Walt Weiss.

Michael Cuddyer had three hits to push his NL-leading batting average to .334. He moved a few points clear of Atlanta's Chris Johnson, who is hitting .330 on the season.

Tyler Chatwood gets the start tonight for the Rockies for his third appearance since being sidelined with right elbow inflammation.

In his first game back on Sept. 1, he hurled two innings before exiting because of a bruised right thumb suffered when he was hit by a comebacker. Chatwood then logged his second straight no-decision on Saturday in San Diego, where he gave up one run over six innings of work.

"I had a pretty good sinker tonight and a pretty good curveball. I got to go out there and pitch that long and kept us in the game," said Chatwood.

The 23-year-old righty is 7-4 with a 3.17 ERA in 17 starts this season and faces Arizona for the first time in 2013. He is 2-0 with a 3.52 ERA in one previous start and relief appearance.

The Diamondbacks swept a three-game set at home versus the Rockies in the previous meeting from July 5-7 and have won six of seven over Colorado in Arizona this year.






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