Division rivalry boosts series finale between Diamondbacks, Rockies

Arizona right-hander Brandon Pfaadt tied a career high with his 11th victory last Monday and will look to set a new standard when he and the Diamondbacks seek a sweep of their three-game series against the Colorado Rockies in Phoenix on Sunday afternoon.

Pfaadt (11-7, 5.02 ERA) will oppose Colorado right-hander Tanner Gordon (2-4, 6.59) in a National League West clash. The Diamondbacks have fallen 12 games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the division, and the Rockies have the worst record in the majors.

"Any time the Dodgers, Giants, Rockies, Padres come to town, it always increases the stakes a little bit," Pfaadt said of division play. "We want to play well against them, just like anybody else, but it kind of gives us a little extra motivation to come out on top in these games."

The game between the teams on Saturday was decided on a walk-off double from Lourdes Gurriel Jr., with Arizona winning 6-5. The Diamondbacks opened the series with a 6-1 win Friday.

Pfaadt is coming off a 6-2 victory over the Padres last Monday. He gave up two runs on five hits and three walks while striking out four in 5 2/3 innings.

It's one of those strikeouts that Pfaadt probably will remember long after his career is over. He struck out San Diego first baseman Luis Arraez swinging on an 86 mph changeup in the fifth inning, a pitch that nearly caused Arraez to lose his balance.

The center field camera caught Arraez, winner of three consecutive league batting championships, mouthing "wow" after the swing.

"To see his reaction to that makes me feel pretty good," Pfaadt said. "I'm going to talk to him and see what his thoughts were. He's a great hitter, and he has a great approach. It just so happened we fooled him" in that at-bat.

The Rockies are 30-86 and need 12 victories in their final 46 games to avoid tying the 2024 Chicago White Sox for the most losses in modern major league history. The White Sox finished 41-121 last year.

Rockies rookie first baseman Warming Bernabel, meanwhile, has yet to slow down since making his major league debut on July 26. He had an RBI single Saturday and has 10 RBIs in his first 13 games.

"My dad, after every game, he calls me and says he's going to get a heart attack, just watching me out there doing what I'm doing," Bernabel told MLB.com via an interpreter.

Pfaadt has given up two runs or fewer in four of his past five starts, although his ERA still is one of the highest among major league qualifiers.

He has integrated a cut fastball into his repertoire and has relied on it more heavily recently.

"It is still a new pitch, but it's played well, and I think it opens up a lot," Pfaadt said. "We'll keep using it until it stops working, which hopefully that never happens. I think it is opening a lot of pitches in the arsenal, so that's a good thing."

Pfaadt has made one start against the Rockies this season, taking the 4-2 loss after throwing five innings on June 22. He is 2-2 with a 5.23 ERA in four career starts against them.

Gordon did not get out of the first inning in his one appearance against the Diamondbacks, an 11-4 loss in Phoenix on Aug. 14, 2024. He gave up three hits and three runs before being removed with two outs in the first.