Rockies’ recent promotions generate ninth-inning rally to complete 3-2 win over Diamondbacks

Rockies Report, Game 52:

ROCKIES BOTTOM LINE: Tomoyuki Sugano’s quality start kept the Rockies close, buying the offense time to finally awaken in the final two innings, with a pair of recent call-ups providing the deciding run in the ninth inning to give Colorado a come-from-behind, 3-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Friday night.

With the game knotted at 2-2 in the ninth, Sterlin Thompson — who returned to the big club Friday after Mickey Moniak was placed on the injured list due to a sprained ankle — doubled. Then Chad Stevens — who made his Colorado debut Thursday after being promoted thanks to his Pacific Coast League-leading .362 average — recorded his first Rockies hit and RBI all at once to decide the game.

Chad Stevens gets his first career RBI to give the Rockies the lead! pic.twitter.com/mxCca9vUxq

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) May 23, 2026

That run followed TJ Rumfield’s game-tying double down the right-field line in the eighth inning, which was the middle third of Colorado’s rally from a 2-0 deficit after four innings. Jake McCarthy’s fifth-inning bases-loaded sacrifice fly got the Rox on the board, but that was all they could muster in that frame despite a pair of singles and a plunking of Thompson loading the bases with no one out.

TJ ties it! pic.twitter.com/UgEZEJEl0L

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) May 23, 2026

The triumph snapped a three-game skein and improved the Rox to 20-32.

ROCKIES STARTER’S REPORT

Along with José Quintana, Sugano continues to be one of the two reliable pillars of the Colorado rotation. Both were acquired as free agents in the offseason along with Michael Lorenzen, and while the latter has struggled — especially at home — Sugano and Quintana have settled in nicely, delivering the solid starts the Rockies usually lacked last year.

But Sugano’s work Friday night represented the Rockies’ first quality start since May 1, when Quintana allowed one run over 6 innings before the Atlanta Braves mauled Colorado’s bullpen to rally from a 6-0 deficit for an 8-6 win. Sugano leads the Rockies in quality starts, but this was his first since April 10, and his deepest foray into a game since Aug. 8 of last year.

Sugano allowed two runs in 6 2/3 innings before Schaeffer relieved him in favor of Brennan Bernardino after a Ryan Waldschmidt single. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. accounted for both runs at Sugano’s expense via a sacrifice fly and a single, but by and large, Sugano kept traffic down, allowing six hits and a walk during his 97-pitch night.

Sugano dropped his ERA to 3.86.

BITS AND PIECES

IT WAS DECIDED FOR THE ROCKIES WHEN: Antonio Senzatela finished off his 1 2/3 innings of work by completing a 1-2-3, 12-pitch ninth. He earned the win, improving to 4-0.

NUMBER TO NOTE: 7 — Quality starts by Rockies pitchers so far this season including Sugano’s performance Friday night, the fewest in MLB.

WHAT’S NEXT: Game 3 of the series on Saturday night, with a slightly later starting time of 8:10 p.m. MDT. Lorenzen starts for the Rox; Zac Gallen gets the nod for Arizona. The Diamondbacks have lost four of Gallen’s last five starts; in two of them he’s failed to make it out of the fourth inning.

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