D-backs Demolish Rockies Behind Kelly’s Complete Game, Six-Run First

The Arizona Diamondbacks showed up to Coors Field on Friday night with their bats locked and loaded, then proceeded to pummel the Colorado Rockies into submission with a six-run first inning that essentially decided matters before Kyle Freeland could even find his groove. When the dust settled, Arizona had cruised to a 9-1 victory behind Merrill Kelly‘s masterful complete game performance, sending Colorado back to the drawing board with their tails between their legs.

Six Runs Before the First Out

The Rockies brought a knife to a gunfight on Friday, and it showed immediately. Corbin Carroll opened the scoring with a run courtesy of Ildemaro Vargas‘ line drive single, then Gabriel Moreno blistered a grounder into center that plated two more runs. By the time Jose Fernandez lined a double down the right field line and Ryan Waldschmidt laced a two-run single into the outfield, the Diamondbacks had already punched their ticket to easy street with six runs in the opening frame. Hunter Goodman provided Colorado’s only run with a solo homer in the bottom of the first, a lonely consolation prize that only underscored how thoroughly outmatched the home team had become.

Freeland was absolutely shelled, lasting just 3.2 innings while surrendering seven earned runs on eight hits and four walks. This wasn’t a case of tough luck or bad bounces. This was a complete organizational failure to execute at the plate, a stunning collapse that had the Mile High faithful watching paint dry by the third inning.

Kelly Puts on a Clinic

While Colorado’s offense evaporated faster than sweat in the Colorado sun, Merrill Kelly was spinning poetry on the mound. The right-hander cruised through nine innings of near-flawless baseball, scattering just four hits while striking out three and remarkably not issuing a single walk. It marked Kelly’s first career complete game, a performance that should go down as one of the most dominant pitching displays of the young season. The Rockies managed one harmless run in the opening frame and then went fishing for the remaining eight innings, unable to generate any semblance of offensive momentum against a pitcher who was simply in complete command.

Ildemaro Vargas was a man possessed at the plate, going 4-for-5 with two RBIs and multiple scoring opportunities created. Gabriel Moreno chipped in two hits and three RBIs, including an important double in the seventh inning that extended Arizona’s already comfortable lead. This wasn’t some narrow squeaker decided in the ninth inning. This was a thorough, comprehensive beatdown that exposed just how far apart these two teams currently are in the National League West.

The Diamondbacks demonstrated Friday night why they’re a legitimate force to be reckoned with. When the offense clicks and the pitching delivers like this, they’re nearly impossible to beat. The Rockies, meanwhile, limped out of this contest looking like a team searching for answers. If Colorado wants to remain competitive in this division, games like this one need to serve as a harsh wake-up call about what separates contenders from pretenders.