The Colorado Rockies handed the Arizona Diamondbacks a 13-2 loss at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Thursday in spring training play. Despite Tim Tawa's 1-for-2 with a home run and two RBI effort at the plate, the Diamondbacks could not overcome a sizable deficit. Taylor Clarke worked 2.0 innings on the mound, allowing 0 earned runs on 0 hits. The Rockies out-hit the Diamondbacks 11-6 on the day. The loss is a minor bump as the Diamondbacks continue fine-tuning ahead of Opening Day. The exhibition season is about preparation, and today provided the kind of reps the coaching staff needs to see.
Key Performers
Tim Tawa was the top performer at the plate, going 1-for-2 with a home run and two RBI. His power was on full display throughout the game. The Diamondbacks will be hoping for more of the same as the spring continues.
LuJames Groover provided support, going 2-for-3 with a double, Jordan Lawlar also contributed, going 1-for-4, and Matt O'Neill chipped in, going 1-for-2. The Diamondbacks showed flashes of offense but could not piece together the big inning they needed.
On the other side of the diamond, TJ Rumfield led the Rockies offense with a 3-for-4 with four RBI day. Brenton Doyle also contributed, going 2-for-3 with a triple and two RBI. Jose Cordova added a 1-for-1 with a home run and an RBI effort as well. The Rockies offense proved to be too much for the Diamondbacks pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Taylor Clarke got the start, running into trouble, working 2.0 innings while allowing 0 earned runs on 0 hits with two strikeouts. He threw 33 pitches in the outing. The coaching staff will review his performance as they continue mapping out the pitching plan for the regular season.
The bullpen combined for 5.6 innings of work, allowing 13 earned runs while striking out four. The Diamondbacks continue to sort through their relief options as they build their Opening Day bullpen. Every inning pitched in the spring is an opportunity for pitchers to make their case for a spot on the roster when the games start counting.
How It Happened
The Diamondbacks struck first, scoring two runs in the first inning. Rockies countered with a run in the fourth. Rockies plated three runs in the fifth. Rockies added eight runs in the sixth. Rockies tacked on a run in the ninth. The Rockies were able to score in four separate innings, keeping the pressure on throughout the contest. Rockies out-hit the Diamondbacks 11-6, with both teams playing clean defense. A crowd of 10,481 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
Despite the result, the Diamondbacks will take the lessons learned from this game and move forward. Spring training is about preparation and evaluation, not wins and losses, and the coaching staff gained valuable information about the roster today. There is still time to make adjustments before the regular season begins, and games like this one are part of that process.