Bryant homers twice as Rockies edge Diamondbacks 6-5

By JACK SOMMERS
Associated Press

PHOENIX (AP) — Kris Bryant had his first multi-homer game of the season, leading the Colorado Rockies to a 6-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night.

Bryant hit solo homers in the first and seventh, his second and third homers of the year. It was his 17th game with two or more homers.

“This Kris Bryant that I’ve seen in the past, I think that’s the Kris Bryant that he sees himself as,” Colorado manager Bud Black said. “He’s healthy, he’s strong, he’s comfortable, and he’s confident.”

But Black was angry after C.J. Cron was hit by a pitch in a game when both benches were warned after hit batters, and a collision at home plate knocked Colorado’s Jose Iglesias out of the game after he scored the go-ahead run in the sixth.

Chad Kuhl (6-5) threw five innings, allowing four runs on six hits, three walks and two homers. Alex Colome recorded his fourth save of the year despite allowing a run in the bottom of the ninth.

Josh Rojas answered Bryant’s first homer with his fifth of the season to tie it at 1 in the bottom of the first. Sergio Alcantara’s two-run shot in the second gave Arizona a 3-1 lead.

Kuhl had a bout of wildness in the bottom half of the fourth. Two walks and a wild pitch set up a perfect safety squeeze by Rojas, scoring Geraldo Perdomo from third base and upping Arizona’s lead to 4-2.

Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen walked in a run in the fifth, his third walk of the inning, and then hit Cron on the hand with a pitch to drive in another, tying the game at 4. Cron had to be removed from the game with a right wrist contusion. X-rays were negative.

Kuhl threw a pitch with two outs in the fifth behind Daulton Varsho. After D-backs manager Torey Lovullo came out of the dugout to protest, he was waived off by the umpires, who huddled up and issued warnings to each bench. Black then came out to argue strenuously to no avail and said Kuhl had no intent, though Lovullo disagreed.

“It seemed to me there was clear intent by their pitcher who went rogue,” he said. “I don’t know if he was told to go rogue and try and throw at our batter, the first batter when he got two outs. I thought that was the design of it, and that’s my opinion.”

Black said he was upset that Cron was hit by Arizona pitching for the seventh time over the last couple of years. Cron said he was aware the scouting report was to pitch him up and in.

“I don’t believe any of them were on purpose necessarily, but at the same time, eight times in a year and a half is, in my opinion, a lot,” Cron said. “You guys can decide that for yourselves. Twice in the head. It is what it is.”

Colorado took the lead for good in the sixth after Iglesias doubled and took third on a groundout. Yonathan Daza grounded to first baseman Christian Walker, who throw home attempting to get Iglesias. His throw was high and Iglesias slid in under the tag, upending catcher Jose Herrera. Both Iglesias and Herrera were shaken up on the collision, with Iglesias having to be removed from the game.

Black said Iglesias was feeling dizzy and would be evaluated Saturday, a planned day off.

The D-backs threatened in the ninth, scoring a run and getting the potential winning run to the plate, but Jordan Luplow lined out sharply to shortstop to end the game.

TRAINERS ROOM

Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela, who has been on the 15-day IL with shoulder inflammation since July 2nd, threw a bullpen session yesterday and will throw another tomorrow. If all goes well, he will pitch in a minor league rehab game next Tuesday. Black did not rule out the possibility of Senzatela returning by July 17 when he is eligible to be activated from the IL.

UP NEXT

LHP Kyle Freeland (4-6, 4.43 ERA) will start for Colorado on Saturday and LHP Madison Bumgarner (4-8, 3.74 ERA) takes the mound for Arizona.