PHOENIX — The location was a perfect fit for what the Rockies did Saturday night at Chase Field.
They rose from the ashes.
Trailing 1-0 entering the ninth, and having not scored a run in 16 consecutive innings, the Rockies scored four runs with two outs off closer Mark Melancon to beat Arizona, 4-1.
In beating the D-backs, the Rockies snapped a five-game road losing skid and made sure Kyle Freeland’s excellent start wasn’t wasted.
C.J. Cron opened the ninth by drawing a walk and was replaced by pinch-runner Garrett Hampson. Ryan McMahon singled, but Melancon struck out Elias Diaz and got Brendan Rodgers to ground into a fielder’s choice force out.
But Yonathan Daza tied the game with an RBI single, Jose Iglesias put the Rockies in front with another RBI single and Connor Joe’s run-scoring single — and a subsequent throwing error by center fielder Jordan Luplow — gave Colorado its 4-1 lead.
Daniel Bard closed out Arizona in the ninth for his ninth save of the season.
Considering how the Rockies were hitting, the game looked like a lost cause after the D-backs took a 1-0 lead in the eighth. Luplow drew a walk from reliever Alex Colome and then swiped second base. Luplow stole third base, too, even though Diaz’s throw had him dead to rights. But McMahon’s tag missed Luplow’s hand and he was ruled safe.
Naturally, the miscue haunted the Rockies. Ketel Marte drew a walk and Christian Walker hit a double off the glove of right fielder Charlie Blackmon, who collided with the wall. Luplow scored.
Freeland pitched like it was 2018, the season he posted a 2.85 ERA and finished fourth in voting for the National League Cy Young Award. He pounded the strike zone and limited Arizona to five hits while striking out five.
Arizona right-hander Zach Davies put up similar numbers to Freeland: 6 1/3 innings, three hits, two walks and six strikeouts.
Freeland gutted out a tense sixth inning. He struck out Cooper Hummel and induced Luplow to ground out to third. That was the easy part.
Marte singled and stole second and Freeland walked Walker. Then Freeland walked David Peralta to load the bases, even though it appeared Freeland had struck out Peralta looking. Freeland was clearly ticked off, but he got Nick Ahmed to ground out back to the mound to keep the game scoreless.
The only inning in which the Rockies even remotely threatened Davies was the fourth. Cron drew a two-out walk and hustled to third on McMahon’s single to right. But Colorado’s rare scoring threat fizzled when Diaz flew out to left.
The Rockies will try to win the three-game series on Sunday afternoon at Chase Field.
