Rodgers' dazzling defense: Clutch dive, relay

DENVER -- After spending the past 2 1/2 months giving the Rockies offense, second baseman Brendan Rodgers spent Friday night taking runs away from the D-backs in a 9-4 win in the series opener at Coors Field.

With Colorado ahead by two runs and the bases loaded for Arizona with two outs in the seventh, Rodgers dove and made a backhanded catch of a David Peralta line drive that likely prevented two runs from scoring. Rodgers also threw out Ketel Marte at the plate in the eighth with a pinpoint relay throw, after efficient work by Charlie Blackmon to play Asdrúbal Cabrera’s one-out double off the right-field wall.

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“Defensively, it's one of my better games -- a lot of action,” said Rodgers, who also made a diving stop on a Pavin Smith grounder in the fifth and nearly had a few more highlights.

While the Rockies pitch and hit well at home -- they pounded out 15 hits in the win -- defense has to be part of the equation for improvement in the standings. Rodgers, who had two hits, has slashed .307/.365/.521 with nine home runs and 24 RBIs over his past 53 games to solidify his spot in the lineup.

After being drafted as a shortstop and moving to second on his way to the Majors, Rodgers has made steady defensive improvement. Friday quickened that pace.

“It’s a great learning experience that he can make contributions with the glove and help us win games,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “When you project yourself to be an everyday player in the big leagues, if you’re a middle-of-the-diamond player like he wants to be, you’ve got to play defense. It’s as simple as that.

“He showed tonight he’s capable of those plays. The challenge for him is to have that mindset and that mentality from February to October, that he’s a defender and not a hitter. Good lessons tonight, and I hope he learns from them what the glove and the arm can do to win games.”

The anticipation that led to both key plays points toward where Rodgers wants to be as a defender.

Peralta, just wanting to drive in runs with a solid at-bat, handled a breaking pitch from right-hander Jhoulys Chacín.

“He kind of got it off the end of the bat,” Rodgers said. “And I got a good read on a good jump and kind of had a dive for it. Yeah, it was just kind of instinctual.”

The relay play was similar to those Rodgers has made from shortstop.

“I peeked, like, right before Charlie threw the ball to me, and Ketel was just about to touch third,” Rodgers said. “So I had a good feeling that I was going to be able to get a good throw off.”

Rodgers’ calling card is his bat. But he lights up when there is a chance on the other side.

“It's always fun to make those tough plays,” Rodgers said. “You don't get them very often. You get a lot of routine ones. But when you can show out and make those tough plays, man, it brings some eyes.”