Two Unknowns Blew Up Arizona In The Ninth, And The Rockies Are Suddenly Dangerous

Holy cow, you guys. If you blinked, you missed one of the most wild ninth innings we’ve seen all season, and it came from the most unexpected places. The Colorado Rockies, fresh off losing their best hitter, somehow, some way, just snapped the Arizona Diamondbacks’ five-game winning streak with a thrilling 3-2 comeback victory Friday night. And get this: the heroes were two Triple-A call-ups who were teammates just days ago. You seriously cannot make this stuff up!

Who Are These Guys?! The New Rockies Heroes

Let's break down how this even happened. The Rockies had to put Mickey Moniak, their top offensive threat this year, on the 10-day injured list Friday because of a right ankle injury. The dude was raking, hitting .280 with 12 homers and 28 RBIs in 43 games. His manager, Warren Schaeffer, even said, "Mickey never wants to go on the IL. He's a warrior. He's a battler. It's just honest, man-to-man conversation about what's best for him, what's best for the team. He agrees." So, with Moniak sidelined, the door opened for Sterlin Thompson and Chad Stevens, and man, did they burst through it! Thompson, a 24-year-old designated hitter, got the call up Friday, his second stint in the majors this month. He was only playing in his fourth big-league game, having been sent down May 19 when Tyler Freeman came off paternity leave. But in the ninth inning, with one out, he doubled for only his second career hit! Then, 27-year-old infielder Chad Stevens, who was recalled Thursday and already started the last two games, followed with the tiebreaking single for his third major league hit. Talk about stepping up! Thompson summed it up perfectly: "It's crazy getting the hit and then Chad bringing me in. It's a great moment. Playing Triple-A together this year, it's just find a way to win, and both of us did that in the top of the ninth." You love to see it. These guys are getting some at-bats and showing what they can do early in the season.

D-backs' Deep Dive Into Trouble: Injuries and Pitching Woes

While the Rockies are celebrating, the D-backs are nursing some serious wounds, both literally and figuratively. They had a 2-0 lead going into Friday and watched it vanish, their five-game winning streak gone in a flash. Their own star, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., who drove in both of Arizona’s runs, had to leave the game in the sixth inning with left hamstring tightness after a sliding catch. Manager Torey Lovullo called him "day to day," with imaging scheduled for Saturday. Gurriel said himself that the injury happened while running and "doesn't seem to be too serious," but you know that has to have D-backs fans sweating. Now, looking ahead to Saturday night's game in Phoenix, the pitching matchup is a tale of two different early-season struggles. Arizona sends Zac Gallen to the mound, who’s sitting at 2-4 with a 4.78 ERA. He actually just snapped a seven-start winless stretch, dominating the Giants 12-2, giving up only two runs and four hits over six innings. But before that, he allowed a staggering 17 runs and 19 hits in 14 1/3 innings over his previous three starts, losing each one. He does have a good career record against the Rockies, going 9-1 with a 3.41 ERA in 18 starts. But Ezequiel Tovar is 6-for-13 with a homer against Gallen, and Hunter Goodman also has a homer off him. For the Rockies, Michael Lorenzen gets the start, and he's got his own battles to fight. He’s 2-6 with a 7.03 ERA and is trying to halt a four-start losing streak, where he's given up 19 earned runs and 29 hits in just 20 innings. His last outing against Arizona was an 8-6 loss where he gave up seven runs, six earned, and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings, serving up homers to Corbin Carroll and Gurriel. Carroll has hit two homers off Lorenzen in his career, going 2-for-8. Saturday night is setting up to be another wild one. Can the Rockies ride this unexpected wave of momentum, or will the D-backs bounce back and prove Friday was just a fluke? It's all about who wants it more, and who can keep their unexpected heroes shining. Get ready for some fireworks!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.