Altitude adjustment: D-backs 'pen steps up

DENVER -- It's been much maligned this year, and there is no question it has been a difficult season for the D-backs' bullpen.
Saturday night at Coors Field, though, the bullpen came through in the clutch in helping nail down Arizona's 9-4 win.
First there was left-hander Edwin Escobar, who came on in relief of starter Braden Shipley with two out and runners on second and third in the sixth and the D-backs clinging to a 7-4 lead.
Escobar threw Gerardo Parra seven fastballs with the left-handed batter fouling off the last three of them.
Just when it seemed Parra might have the fastball timed, Escobar threw him a slider off the plate that was chased for strike three, ending the threat.
"I just started thinking that I had thrown too many fastballs already so let's try a breaking ball, and I got him with a breaking ball right there," Escobar said.
Said shortstop Chris Owings, "He's really trusting his stuff and that AB against Parra right there, he just kept battling him and going right after him, and luckily he got that strikeout there in a huge situation."
Then in the seventh with a man on and two outs, Randall Delgado came in, and after allowing a single, he struck out Carlos González to end the inning.

"This has not been a real kind place to Randall in the past," D-backs manager Chip Hale said of Delgado, who entered the game with a 7.32 career ERA at Coors Field. "We know he's been pitching so much better, and he's going to have to pitch here and he's going to have to pitch effectively against this ballclub. So he's going to get the ball, he'll get it again [Sunday], if the opportunity is there."
Jake Barrett then tossed a 1-2-3 eighth, with Daniel Hudson allowing just a walk during a scoreless ninth.