A six-run first inning set the table for Merrill Kelly’s first career complete game as the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks cruised to a 9-1 win over the Colorado Rockies in Denver on Friday night.
Ildemaro Vargas was 4-for-5 with a double and two RBIs for Arizona, which was coming off back-to-back road losses to the Texas Rangers.
Kelly (3-3) needed just 100 pitches to record all 27 outs. He settled into the game after allowing a Hunter Goodman first-inning homer for the Rockies’ only run, allowing a total of four hits and no walks while striking out three.
The 37-year-old right-hander had the luxury of pitching with a comfortable lead for the entire outing after the Diamondbacks’ big inning to start the game.
The damage came against Colorado starter Kyle Freeland (1-5) starting with two outs and one on. Vargas opened the scoring with an RBI single. After Freeland walked Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to load the bases, Gabriel Moreno brought home two with a single.
Jose Fernandez’s RBI double in the next at-bat was the only extra-base hit of the inning and made it a 4-0 game. Ryan Waldschmidt struck the final blow of the frame with a two-run single out of the No. 9 hole.
An inning later, Colorado left fielder Mickey Moniak and shortstop Ezequiel Tovar combined to prevent further damage as they executed a perfect relay to retire Nolan Arenado out at home plate. Arenado was trying to score from first on Vargas’ double into the left field corner.
The seventh and final run credited to Freeland came when Vargas hit a run-scoring infield single off reliever Zach Agnos in the fourth. Freeland, who was pulled in the inning after loading the bases, gave up eight hits, walked four and struck out three in 3 2/3 innings.
Agnos ate valuable innings for the Rockies, throwing 4 1/3 innings. He allowed two runs in the seventh on Gurriel’s sacrifice fly and Moreno’s RBI double.
Corbin Carroll and Moreno each had two hits for Arizona.
Goodman provided his 11th long ball of the season for the Rockies, who took their fifth loss in six games.
