PHOENIX – Miguel Montero hit a three-run home run, David Peralta had two extra-base hits and stole home, and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the listless Colorado Rockies 5-3 on Friday night.
Montero homered off Tyler Matzek (2-7) in the first inning, and not much else happened between the NL West’s two worst teams until Peralta flashed his speed in the seventh.
The rookie hit a run-scoring triple off Rex Brothers, then caught the Rockies off-guard, racing home when catcher Michael McKenry lobbed the ball back to the mound. Peralta is the sixth Arizona player to steal home, first since Chris Young in 2007.
Chase Anderson (7-4) pitched five solid innings, giving up a leadoff homer to McKenry in the fifth inning and little else.
Corey Dickerson and DJ LeMahieu had run-scoring singles in the ninth inning for the Rockies, who have lost 10-of-12 games.
After a rough patch of the season, Anderson has rounded back into form.
The rookie right-hander lost four in a row after a five-win start to his career before stringing together four quality outings since July 7. He was sharp against the Rockies, making one mistake: the towering homer by McKenry.
Anderson allowed three other hits and struck out six. He has allowed two earned runs or less in 11-of-14 starts and has a 1.74 earned-run average over his last five.
Matzek has struggled on the road this season, entering Friday’s game 0-3 with a 6.11 ERA in six games, including five starts. His latest road effort wasn’t looking good early.
The left-hander walked the second batter he faced and gave up a double to Peralta, then Montero hit the first pitch he saw out to left for a three-run homer, his 12th of the season.
Matzek got himself in trouble again when he walked the bases loaded in the fifth inning, but he escaped thanks to an inning-ending double play on a ball Arizona’s Jordan Pacheco appeared to hit off his leg. Pacheco didn’t run to first, and Diamondbacks’ manager Kirk Gibson argued the call, but the double play stood.
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Rockies left-hander Brett Anderson underwent magnetic resonance imaging Friday to determine if he has a disk problem in his back. He left Tuesday’s game against the Chicago Cubs in the fourth inning because of back spasms.
Diamondbacks outfielder A.J. Pollock, out with a broken right hand, is 2-for-18 with a double and a run scored in five rehab games with Triple-A Reno and Arizona’s rookie league team.
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Rockies left-hander Jorge De La Rosa, Saturday’s starter, has 24 strikeouts with two walks over his last three starts.
Diamondbacks right-hander Trevor Cahill has had two consecutive quality starts heading into Saturday’s game against the Rockies, allowing four earned runs in 13 innings. He allowed a run in seven innings against Pittsburgh in his last start but did not factor in the decision.
