The Sports Xchange
Sep 14, 2017
PHOENIX -- Center fielder A.J. Pollock had two hits and four RBIs and right fielder J.D. Martinez homered again in the Arizona Diamondbacks' 7-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday at Chase Field.
Pollock doubled in three runs in a five-run first inning and Martinez hit his career-high 39th homer in the third inning as right-hander Zack Godley won his third straight decision.
Martinez has 23 homers in 49 games since being acquired from Detroit on July 18. He has 10 homers in his last 11 games, including a four-homer game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sept. 4. He has reached base in 18 straight games.
Chris Iannetta had three hits and Martinez had two as the Diamondbacks (85-62) completed the four-game series where they started -- five games ahead of Colorado for the National League wild-card lead. The Rockies won the first two games.
Godley (8-7) gave up five hits, four singles, in eight innings, the longest outing of his career. He struck out seven and did not walk a batter.
Godley benefited from three double-play grounders and got 20 outs from the last 20 batters he faced after inducing Ian Desmond to ground into a double play with runners on first and third and one out in the second inning, Colorado's only threat.
The Rockies (80-67), shut out for the eight time this season, are 2 1/2 games ahead of Milwaukee and St. Louis for the second wild-card spot with 15 regular-season games remaining. Milwaukee and St. Louis conclude the season with a three-game series at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals have seven games remaining with the NL Central-leading Cubs.
Gerardo Parra had two of the Rockies' five hits. Desmond's two-out double in the eighth inning was their only extra-base hit.
Colorado right-hander Chad Bettis (1-3) recorded only one out in the first inning, when Arizona scored five runs on three hits and three walks.
Gregor Blanco walked and Iannetta doubled off center fielder Charlie Blackmon's glove before Jake Lamb walked to load the bases.
Paul Goldschmidt singled in a run and Brandon Drury drew a one-out walk before Pollock doubled to center field to drive in three and knock out Bettis.
Pollock has five hits and eight RBIs in the last two games after entering in a 2-for-22 skid.
NOTES: Colorado LHP Tyler Anderson will return to the rotation for a Saturday start against San Diego, manager Bud Black said. LHP Kyle Freeland will move to the bullpen. Anderson gave up one hit in four innings of scoreless relief Monday, when he stepped in after Freeland was forced to leave the game with a shoulder contusion. ... Arizona LHP Robbie Ray will take a four-game winning streak into his start at San Francisco on Friday. Ray is 4-0 with a 1.42 ERA since returning from a 26-day absence after being struck in the head by a line drive. Twenty-six of the 41 outs he has recorded in his last two starts have been strikeouts.