Parra leads Diamondbacks' victory
PHOENIX -- Arizona Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson called it a "dominating game," but Arizona outfielder Gerardo Parra was quick to defer the praise.
"You know, I think the team is dominating. We play for the D-backs. I don't play for my personal (rewards). I just want to play for my team and make it win," Parra said.
Parra extended his career-long hitting streak to 13 games, had a hand in two D-backs' rallies and made a sliding catch to take a hit away from Colorado rookie Nolan Arenado in a 4-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies at Chase Field on Sunday.
Parra's most aggressive play came when he scored on a 40-foot wild pitch for the second run of a two-run third inning. Parra got a large lead and a good jump off third base when Jon Garland's pitch bounced away from catcher Wilin Rosario, and Parra ran around Rosario's lunging tag attempt for a 2-0 lead, a lead the D-backs never lost.
"You try to be aggressive without running into outs on the bases. We're aware of what guys throw in certain counts and when to be alert to dirt-ball reads, Not many guys score on that," Gibson said. "Parra had a dominating game today. Outstanding."
Arizona left-hander Patrick Corbin (3-0) gave up two runs in 6 2/3 innings in his fifth consecutive quality start of the season as the D-backs won the series, three games to one, and pulled into a first-place tie in the NL West with Colorado. Both are 15-10.
D-backs closer J. J. Putz gave up a single and a walk in the ninth inning but struck out Carlos Gonzalez with runners on second and third to end the game for his fifth save.
The D-backs have won five of their last six games. Colorado has lost six of its last eight.
Colorado shortstop Troy Tulowitzki left the game in the third inning with a strained left shoulder and is considered day-to-day, the Rockies said. Tulowitzki, who was 4-for-10 with five RBIs in the first three games of the series, was injured when he was thrown out at the plate attempting to score from second base on a single in the first.
"I didn't know he got hurt on the play. I found out shortly after. They don't think it is bad. We will evaluate and see how he does tomorrow," Colorado manager Walt Weiss said.
Josh Wilson doubled in Paul Goldschmidt, who had singled, to give the D-backs a 3-0 lead before Cody Ross singled in Parra, who had tripled, for a 4-0 lead in the fifth.
Colorado left fielder Eric Young Jr. had three doubles, one short of Jeff Baker's franchise record for a game, but ran into two outs on the bases. He was thrown out at third attempting to advance on a ground ball in the first inning, and he was picked off second after breaking for third in the third.
Colorado scored twice in the sixth off Corbin, who is 3-0 with a 1.91 ERA. Young doubled to deep center and scored on Dexter Fowler's single to left. Fowler took second on the throw to the plate and third on a groundout before scoring on a wild pitch. That made it 4-2.
"I wasn't as sharp as I have been, but I wanted to go out there and keep us in the game," said Corbin, who gave up nine hits but did not walk a batter.
Corbin has given up two runs or fewer in each of his five starts.
"It was a tough series. We shouldn't hang our heads to low but at the same time we need to figure out how to get some of those guys across," said Rockies starter Jon Garland (2-2), who gave up eight hits and three earned runs in six innings.
NOTES: Gonzalez, who has four hits in his last 35 at-bats, did not start Sunday. ... Arizona rested infielder/outfielder Martin Prado, who has five hits in his last 39 at-bats. ... Colorado third baseman Arenado, 22, made his first major league start after being purchased from Class AAA Colorado Springs. Arenado, considered the top position player prospect in the Rockies' system, was hitting .364 with 11 doubles, three home runs and 21 RBIs in 18 games for the Sky Sox. Arenado was the most valuable player in the 2011 Arizona Fall League. ... The D-backs reinstated outfielder Jason Kubel from the disabled list Sunday and placed shortstop Didi Gregorius on the seven-day disabled list with concussion-like symptoms. Kubel suffered a strained right quadriceps on April 5 and played through it until being placed on the disabled list April 13. Gregorius, hit by a pitch in the right temple Friday, will be eligible to return from the DL on Saturday provided he gets medical clearance to play. He still needs to pass a 20-question test designed to assess cognitive skills before he can move on to another impact test, Gibson said ... Colorado designated third baseman Chris Nelson for assignment to make room for Arenado on the roster. Nelson, the Rockies' first-round pick in the 2004 draft, was hitting .242 with no homers and four RBIs in 22 games.
