Surging D-backs' 'attentiveness' pays off in comeback win over Rockies

PHOENIX -- In the seventh inning, Kevin Newman took his lead at first while Corbin Carroll danced off third. As Tyler Kinley started his delivery, Newman took off for second, the wild pitch bounced away from catcher Elias Díaz, allowing Carroll to score easily, but Newman didn’t stop at second, he rounded the bag and easily made it to third.

After a foul ball, Kinley delivered another pitch in the dirt. This one didn’t get that far away from Díaz, but Newman had a great break off third and he scored easily with what would prove to be the game-winning run, as the D-backs beat the Rockies, 5-4, on Monday night at Chase Field.

The D-backs are the hottest team in baseball at the moment. Since July 1, they are 26-10, which is the most wins in the Majors over that span, and they’ve won 16 of their last 19 games.

For most of that stretch, it’s the offense that has carried them, but Monday they got just enough from starter Brandon Pfaadt, who managed to get through seven innings, and then the baserunning of Newman to notch the victory.

“I think at the right times, our attentiveness, our focus and our readiness just showed up,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. “And it all piled up into a couple really good plays, a couple really good at-bats.”

Newman wasn’t supposed to even play Monday. Second baseman Ketel Marte, who was forced to leave Saturday’s game in the fourth inning after Phillies catcher Garrett Stubbs slid into his left leg at second, had sat out Sunday’s game but was back in the lineup on Monday.

Marte, though, lasted all of one inning.

In the bottom of the first, Marte swung at a pitch and collapsed to the ground in pain. He would fly out to center on the next pitch and was clearly favoring his left leg as he jogged to first.

Lovullo made the decision to remove Marte from the game and replace him with Newman. The D-backs announced that Marte had reaggravated Saturday’s injury, which they diagnosed as a left ankle contusion.

Lovullo had texted Marte earlier Monday and the All-Star told him that he was still experiencing some pain in the ankle, but he wanted to try and play. Initially, the D-backs didn’t think Marte would need to have any tests done on the ankle, but Lovullo said after the game Monday that Marte would go for a precautionary MRI on Tuesday.

“It's nothing in the knee,” Lovullo said. “It's above the ankle and the joint there. So we just needed to get him off the field. And he was trying to go back out there, but I just told him, ‘Look, it doesn't make sense. Let's get you off the field, get you resting up and recovering and see where we're at day to day.’”

Newman has unexpectedly been a big part of the D-backs’ success this year. Invited to Spring Training as a non-roster player, Newman opted out of his contract with the team on March 27, but then re-signed on another Minor League deal shortly thereafter.

When starting shortstop Geraldo Perdomo went on the injured list on April 7, the D-backs selected Newman’s contract from Triple-A Reno and he became their primary shortstop until Perdomo returned on June 11.

Even though his playing time has been reduced, Newman has still found ways to contribute like he did Monday.

“Marte goes down and we know we can rely on Newman to come in the game and do his job,” Pfaadt said. “That's what he's done all year, and we're grateful for him every time he does it. He’s been able to come up big for us later in games.”