Colorado Rockies: 3 things to like from D’backs series

Well, Rockies fans, it was a tough three-game series that concluded Wednesday afternoon for the Colorado Rockies against National League West rival Arizona at Coors Field.

Yes, the Colorado Rockies dropped their first series of the season after having won their first five of the shortened 2020 campaign (something the franchise had never done before to open a season).

Yes, the Diamondbacks scored 32 runs in the three-game series to match the most runs they have ever tallied against the Rox in a three-game set at Coors Field (equaling the 32 runs scored June 3-5, 2014; they notched 29 runs in Denver in both 2017 and 2018).

Yes, Charlie Blackmon’s 15-game hitting streak came to an end after going 0-for-4 at the plate Wednesday. He was on deck when Trevor Story bounced into a game-ending double play that the Rockies challenged but the play was upheld. Still, Charlie Nazty is batting .472 with a 1.187 OPS. Any MLB player would take those numbers in a heartbeat.

But, hark, there is some good news to share. Here are 3 things to like from the series against the D-backs (Arizona’s only scheduled trip to Denver this season as the remaining seven games between the teams will be played in Phoenix).

1. The emergence at the plate of Raimel Tapia (Tuesday and Wednesday) and Ryan McMahon (Wednesday).

Tapia entered the Arizona series batting just .125 (2-for-8). After not playing in the series opener on Monday night, Tapia was inserted into the lineup on Tuesday and responded with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate. His two-run double was a huge hit in Colorado’s six-run eighth inning that gave the Rockies an 8-2 lead before Arizona rallied in the ninth in an 8-7 setback to the Rox.

Here is some of what manager Bud Black had to say about Tapia’s performance on Tuesday night:

“It was good to see ‘Tap’ contribute with three hits…” said Black. “I thought he had good at-bats throughout the night. So, good for him. I think we, again, got to get him going (offensively)….It was good to see ‘Tap’ get some hits.”

Tapia promptly followed up his Game 2 performance with another start on Wednesday, reaching base four times (2 singles, 2 walks) while scoring a run. The two games boosted his batting average to .304.

Meanwhile, McMahon had two hits on Wednesday in the series finale, including a three-run home run in the fourth inning that, at the time, gave Colorado a 4-2 lead. That lead would be short-lived, however, as the Diamondbacks eventually rolled past Colorado 13-7 to capture the series.

McMahon is now hitting .220 on the season.