D-backs end road trip strong as Suárez provides clutch double

DENVER -- These last two days in the Mile High City have helped the D-backs rescue what could have been a disastrous road trip, and following a 5-3 win over the Rockies at Coors Field, they're headed home for a well-deserved off day feeling much better about themselves.

After dropping the final game of their homestand, the D-backs were swept in Atlanta, two of the losses coming after they had big early leads. They then dropped the first game of the series in Denver, pushing the losing streak to five. But after securing Torey Lovullo’s 500th regular-season win as a manager on Tuesday, the D-backs took the series finale on Wednesday against the Rockies, 5-3.

“It’s great to go home with the series win in our pocket,” third baseman Eugenio Suárez said. “It was a little bit tough in Atlanta, but we played really good baseball. We just got to go home and keep playing like this.”

Suárez delivered what proved to be the decisive hit of the game, lifting a blooper to left with two outs in the ninth inning that fell just out of the reach of a diving Nolan Jones for a two-run double.

Prior to that at-bat, Suárez had been in an 0-for-17 slump. He fell behind in the count, 0-2, against Justin Lawrence before taking a pair of sweepers to even the count, 2-2. The fifth pitch of the at-bat, another sweeper, was off the outside corner of the plate, but Suárez was able to make contact, muscling the game-winning double into left field.

“I just didn’t try too much after those two swings that had on the first two pitches,” Suárez said. “I just tried to put a ball in play not trying to hit a homer or something like that. I just didn’t want to punch out, I wanted to put the ball in play and see what happened.”

Suárez got the big knock, but Arizona’s pitching, especially the bullpen, was the reason the D-backs were able to pull this one out.

Starter Tommy Henry battled his way through five innings, allowing three runs (two earned) before Lovullo went to the pen. Rookie Bryce Jarvis was the first to get the call, and the long reliever held the Rockies to just one hit over 2 2/3 innings scoreless.

“The cutter, the fastball, came out hot for him today and he was commanding all his pitches,” Lovullo said of Jarvis. “There were some quality sliders that were thrown as well, but the cutter was a big pitch for him today.”

When Jarvis has his cutter working, it allows his four-seam fastball to be even more effective. That was the case Wednesday.

“Something that I haven't used as much as I've liked to last couple outings and something that I had a lot of success with in spring,” Jarvis said of the cutter. “And it's nice to go out there and just kind of lean on it and have success with it.”

Nothing, it seems, comes easy for the D-backs these days and the ninth inning was no exception.

After scoring the two runs in the top of the frame thanks to Suárez’s double, closer Kevin Ginkel entered and loaded the bases with two outs before getting Jones to fly out to center to end the game. Ryan McMahon hit a walk-off grand slam to kick off the Rockies' homestand last week, but on Wednesday afternoon, Ginkel ensured the home crowd didn't go home happy.

“He's a good hitter,” Ginkel said of Jones. “He's kind of been struggling a little bit to start the season, but I just wanted to go out there, trust my stuff, trust my four-seamer and try to get ahead, which I was able to do. Then, I tried to not give him anything decent to hit and eventually got that soft fly out to center.”

After Thursday’s scheduled off day, the D-backs host the Cardinals and Cubs for three games apiece.

“They're gonna be tough to play,” Ginkel said. “I know St. Louis has always been tough against me, but I'm ready for it and I think this team is ready for it. It’ll be nice to get the off day tomorrow as well so everybody can rest and reset.”