Ureña, Montero show bite during dog days

PHOENIX -- As Rockies manager Bud Black puts it, “The dog days are here.” And during them, his team has struggled to string together complete showings amid a challenging start to the second half of the season.

After opening this week’s eight-game National League West road swing by dropping four of five to the Padres, the Rockies fell in the rubber game Sunday afternoon against the D-backs, taking a 6-4 loss at Chase Field. Colorado is 5-13 since the All-Star break and hasn’t recorded consecutive victories since a five-game winning streak from July 12-16.

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Right-hander Alex Colomé couldn’t preserve a late lead vs. Arizona for the second time in three days, allowing two runs in two-thirds of an inning. With the bases loaded and one out in the eighth, he balked in the go-ahead run.

Here are three takeaways as the Rox head home following their 2-6 trip through San Diego and Phoenix:

1. Montero stole the show with his breakout offense
It was quite a week for Elehuris Montero, the Rockies’ No. 6 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. The 23-year-old corner infielder was called up from Triple-A Albuquerque on Tuesday for his fourth stint in the big leagues this season, and so far, this one has been going much better.

Montero went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI single on Sunday. He has collected a hit in all six games since his return to the Majors. He recorded his first two career RBIs on Friday, swatted his first MLB home run on Saturday and is 9-for-21 since rejoining the Rockies.

“The kid is uber talented,” Colorado infielder Ryan McMahon said. “It’s going to be really fun -- I think you’re just starting to see the beginning.”

Montero went 6-for-34 over his previous three promotions. Now, he’s beginning to realize the potential he has shown in the Minors since coming over from the Cardinals in the Nolan Arenado trade in February 2021.

“The hope is at 23 that he continues to build on seeing big league pitchers, understanding what it’s going to take to be a professional hitter at this level,” Black said. “I think he’s capable. He’s got the physical skill set to do it, to impact the ball. ... The upside is average, power, with an on-base component.”

2. Ureña back on track with quality outing
There was a stark contrast between José Ureña’s first three starts with the Rockies and his next three. He joined their rotation on July 6, then posted a 1.45 over a trio of stellar outings. But after the All-Star break, he had a 10.22 ERA in his first three second-half starts, failing to complete six innings in any of them.

But Ureña was much better on Sunday, when he allowed three runs over six innings. The right-hander issued three walks and gave up seven hits -- including a two-run homer to Christian Walker in the first inning and a solo home run to Emmanuel Rivera in the sixth -- but he worked out of several jams in the middle frames to limit the damage.

“I tried to attack them the best I can, because they can be aggressive sometimes, even in a fastball count,” said Ureña, who induced an inning-ending double play in the fourth to escape a bases-loaded, one-out situation. “We tried to take advantage.”

The Rockies don’t have many MLB-ready pitching prospects on the horizon quite yet, so the 30-year-old Ureña should continue to get starts down the stretch. If he continues to perform well, he may prove he’s worthy of being brought back this offseason, when he’ll be a free agent.

3. An off-day has arrived at a good time
On Monday, Colorado will enjoy its first day off since the All-Star break. The club opened the second half with a stretch of 18 games in 17 days.

It should provide a welcome breather for the Rockies before they host the Cardinals and D-backs during a six-game homestand at Coors Field that begins Tuesday.

“This is the part of the season where guys, all players, all 800 players, get a little worn down. And then you get into late August, into September, you get that last run,” Black said. “Most of our guys know this time of year can be where you get a little weary. But that’s the case for all teams. That’s all guys. You’ve got to get through it and perform.”