Jon Gray promised himself he was going to have fun this season.
He had a blast Thursday afternoon at Coors Field as the Rockies beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 7-3, to clinch the three-game series.
The right-hander took a no-hitter into the seventh inning but David Peralta led off with a triple to left-center. He later scored on Pavin Smith’s subsequent single to right to spoil the shutout. Nonetheless, Gray pitched a gem: 6 2/3 innings, one run allowed on two hits. He walked four and fanned five.
He received a lengthy standing ovation when he left the game.
Colorado’s otherwise clean victory got messy in the ninth when Arizona pounced on struggling right-handed reliever Carlos Estevez. Eduardo Escobar blasted a monster, 453-foot two-run homer to right, and Estevez then walked Stephen Vogt and pinch-hitter Wyatt Mathisen before manager Bud Black yanked him. Closer Daniel Brad came in to finish things off, striking out Josh Rojas and getting Tim Locastro to ground out to end the game.
Gray now has 704 career strikeouts, joining Jorge De La Rosa, Ubaldo Jimenez, Jeff Francis and Pedro Astacio as the only pitchers to notch 700 Ks in a Rockies uniform. He joined the club by striking out opposing starter Merrill Kelly in the third inning.
Gray’s fastball did not blaze Thursday, topping out at 94.5 mph, while averaging around 92. But he commanded his offspeed pitches and kept the visitors guessing. Through two starts, Gray is 1-0 with a nifty 1.54 ERA.
Colorado’s defense was excellent Thursday, and two plays, in particular, kept Gray’s no-hitter alive in the sixth inning. Third baseman Ryan McMahon barehanded a squibber by Locastro and threw him out by a half-step. After Gray struck out Josh VanMeter, Christian Walker looped a lazy flyball to right, but Charlie Blackmon sprinted in and caught it for the third out.
The Rockies’ offense came alive Wednesday night in an 8-0 win over the D-Backs and didn’t slow down Thursday.
Colorado ambushed Kelly in the first, banging out five consecutive hits: Singles by Garrett Hampson and Raimel Tapia; a run-scoring double off the left-field fence by Trevor Story; a two-run single by Blackmon that clanged off the out-of-town scoreboard in right; and a bloop single to center by Ryan McMahon.
Story, whose first-inning double snapped an 0-for-14 skid, made it 4-0 in the second with an RBI triple to right-center to score Hampson.
The Rockies blew the game open in the third on a three-run homer by catcher Dom Nunez. It was Nunez’s third homer of the young season, a dramatic upswing for a team that saw its catchers hit only two total home runs in 2020.
The Rockies hit the road for the first time this season when they open a three-game series at San Francisco on Friday afternoon.
Boxscore: Rockies 7, D-backs 3
On Deck
Rockies LHP Austin Gomber (0-1, 3.00 ERA) at Giants RHP Johnny Queto (0-0, 4.76)
2:35 p.m. Friday, Oracle Park
TV: AT&T SportsNet
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM
Gomber, the centerpiece of the Nolan Arenado trade with St. Louis, had a tough Rockies debut. He gave up a career-high seven walks in just three innings in a 4-2 loss to the Dodgers at Coors Field. Though he only gave up one hit and one earned run, he also had a throwing error. Both Gomber and manager Bud Black attributed his poor performance to Gomber being “too amped up.” It will be interesting to see how he does in his second start. Cueto has pitched well vs. Colorado, going 9-4 with a 3.16 ERA in 18 starts. The veteran right-hander opened the season with a decent outing vs. Seattle, going 5 2/3 innings, giving up three runs with six hits and seven strikeouts.
Trending: Closer Daniel Bard got the final two outs in Thursday’s win over Arizona to get his second save of the season. He’s pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings in four games this season, and he’s 8-for-8 in save opportunities with the Rockies dating back to 2020.
At issue: Right-handed reliever Carlos Estevez continues to struggle. He gave up a two-run homer and walked two in one-third of an inning Thursday.
Pitching Probables
Saturday: Rockies RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez (1-0, 5.40) at Giants RHP Logan Webb (0-1, 5.06), 2:05 p.m., ATTRM
Sunday: Rockies RHP German Marquez (0-0, 3.60) at Giants RHP Anthony DeSclafani (0-0, 1.80), 2:05 p.m., ATTRM
Monday: Off
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