PHOENIX — Merrill Kelly matched a career high with 12 strikeouts in seven dominating innings, Jace Peterson hit a two-run double and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Colorado Rockies 4-2 on Monday.
Kelly (11-6) bounced back from a rare shaky start, filling the afternoon with whiffs and weak contact while allowing a run and four hits. The right-hander started to warm up for the eighth inning before leaving with appeared to be cramps for the second time in three starts.
Peterson hit a two-run double off Peter Lambert (3-6) in the fourth inning and Paul Sewald gave up a run-scoring double to Elias Diaz in the ninth before closing out his 30th save in 35 chances. Arizona remains three games behind the Chicago Cubs for the second NL wild-card spot.
Hunter Goodman hit a run-scoring single off Kelly for the last-place Rockies, who had five hits while losing for the 12th time in 14 games.
Kelly struggled his last outing, giving up seven runs in five innings in a 9-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
He was much sharper against the Rockies, holding them without a hit until Nolan Jones and Brandon Rodgers hit consecutive broken-bat singles with one out in the fifth inning. Goodman followed with a run-scoring single to cut Arizona's lead to 4-1.
Kelly has had trouble with cramps in recent starts and appeared to be struggling again during warmups in the eighth inning, prompting Arizona manager Torey Lovullo and the training staff to check on him. Kelly screamed into his glove as he walked off the mound toward the dugout.
The Diamondbacks needed one time through the batting order to get to Lambert, who allowed three runs in five innings against Atlanta his last start.
Leadoff hitter Corbin Carroll hit a run-scoring triple in the third inning and Gabriel Moreno added one in the fourth. Peterson made it 4-0 later in the inning with a two-run double.
Lambert gave up all four runs and six hits while striking out five in six innings.
TRAINER'S TABLE
Rockies: OF/DH Kris Bryant took full batting practice for the first time since breaking his left index finger on a hit by pitch July 22. He could return to the lineup in a home series against the Chicago Cubs next week. ... RHP Nick Mears was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque and RHP Tommy Doyle was optioned to the Isotopes.
Diamondbacks: Arizona recalled OF Dominic Fletcher and placed him on the 60-day injured list with a fractured left index finger. ... LHP Andrew Saalfrank was selected from Triple-A Reno after going a combined 8-2 with a 2.53 era in 44 games this season between the Aces and Double-A Amarillo. ... The Diamondbacks also optioned RHP Slade Cecconi to Reno.
UP NEXT
Colorado LHP Kyle Freeland (5-14, 5.18 ERA) faces Arizona RHP Brandon Pfaadt (1-7, 6.21) in the middle game of the series on Tuesday.
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