Currently: The Arizona Diamondbacks once again have company atop the NL West. They’re still hoping that, once again, they’ll be able to stay there.
The Diamondbacks will look to ensure that they maintain their season-long grip on first place on Thursday, when they play the decisive game of their series at Coors Field against the Colorado Rockies.
Arizona (61-59) has held at least a share of the top spot in the West since April 5, holding off a surge by the Los Angeles Dodgers last month to hold onto their position.
After the Diamondbacks lost 6-5 at Colorado and the Dodgers beat Philadelphia 7-6 on Wednesday, Los Angeles moved back into a tie with Arizona for the first time since July 21. The Dodgers were involved in three different ties for first place that week, but they couldn’t supplant the defending NL West champs.
Arizona will again try to hold its ground while continuing its 2008 dominance over the Rockies (54-68). After getting swept by Colorado in last year’s NLCS, the Diamondbacks won nine of their first 10 games against their division rivals this season before Wednesday’s loss.
They had the tying run on third base with one out in the ninth Wednesday, but couldn’t capitalize. Chris Young struck out, then newly acquired Adam Dunn grounded out against Brian Fuentes with two outs and the bases loaded in the ninth.
Both the Diamondbacks and right-hander Dan Haren will be trying to rebound on Thursday. Haren (12-6, 3.00 ERA) saw his four-start winning streak snapped on Saturday, as he gave up a season-high six earned runs and 10 hits in 5 1-3 innings of an 11-4 loss to Atlanta.
Haren has allowed at least two runs in the first innings of each of his last three starts.
“He’s one of the best pitchers in the game,” Braves catcher Brian McCann said of Haren. “Anytime you can get to them early, that’s how you beat those guys.”
Haren beat the Rockies with six innings of one-run ball in a 10-3 victory on April 12 after starting his career 0-2 against them for St. Louis and Oakland. He had been scheduled to face 14-game winner Aaron Cook, but the Colorado right-hander was scratched from his start due to lower back stiffness.
Instead, Glendon Rusch (5-3, 5.22) will pitch for the Rockies, seeking to win his fifth straight decision. In his last six starts for Colorado, Rusch is 4-0 with a 3.55 ERA, walking just three in 33 innings.
The left-hander hasn’t made a start against the Diamondbacks since 2003, but he’s pitched five shutout innings and earned a win out of the bullpen against them this season before he was let go by San Diego. He’s 5-2 with a 4.14 in 16 career appearances against Arizona.
The Rockies had lost three straight and five of six before Wednesday’s win, and they still trail the leaders by eight games in the West. Arizona, meanwhile, has dropped five of seven, all against teams with losing records.
“We’re looking forward to playing them,” Rockies manager Clint Hurdle told his team’s official Web site. “We’re in a better place (Wednesday) than we were (Tuesday). That’s what we got to keep focusing on. We’ve got an opportunity to win the series.”
After Thursday’s game, the clubs close their season series with six meetings in the season’s final 10 days.
AZ Snakepit
Purple Row
