Major League Baseball

Arenado starts fast in Rockies' 6-3 opening loss to D-backs

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 2:15 p.m. ET

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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) Nolan Arenado, who led the majors with 130 RBIs last season, doubled in a run in his first at-bat of the spring in the Colorado Rockies' 6-3 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday.

Arenado pulled Rubby De La Rosa's slider into the left field corner to score D.J. LeMahieu, who had singled. Carlos Gonzalez also singled and scored in the first inning.

''That's how it kind of was last year,'' Arenado said of the production from the top of the lineup. ''It just feels right. It's who we are.''

Arenado, a first-time All-Star a year ago, later lined to second. He also made a fine backhand play at third base to end an Arizona threat.

Welington Castillo hit a solo home run off struggling Tyler Matzek in the fourth and Paul Goldschmidt went 0 for 3 in the Cactus League debut for the retooled D-backs.

Matzek, who acknowledged performance anxiety helped derail his 2015 season, failed to get anybody out in the fourth.

De La Rosa allowed two runs and three hits in two innings.

Archie Bradley, contending for a rotation spot, followed with two hitless innings for Arizona.

Jon Gray gave up two hits and a walk in two scoreless innings for Colorado while working on a new curveball. Gray also picked off Chris Owings at first.

Kyle Jensen hit a two-run homer off Rockies prospect Tyler Anderson in the sixth.

STARTING TIME

Diamondbacks: De La Rosa got the side in order in the second, including striking out Ryan Casteel, after a shaky first inning.

''He got a little hyped up,'' Arizona manager Chip Hale said.

Rockies: Reliever Scott Oberg gave up Jean Segura's single and struck out Castillo in a scoreless first inning.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Diamondbacks: A.J. Pollock was out for a second straight day with a sore right elbow, but took swings before the game.

Rockies: David Hale is out a few days to rest a strained right hamstring.

MATZEK'S WOES

Matzek started Colorado's home opener last season, but ended up in the minors as he struggled with control and confidence. Matzek went public in the winter with his mental health issues. The lefty gave up three hits and two walks with a wild pitch.

''I wouldn't put too much into it. It's the first day,'' Arenado said. ''There's a whole month left.''

BRADLEY REGRETS

Bradley struck out two in an impressive performance as he hopes to rebound from a difficult 2015. He returned less than a month after getting hit in the face by Gonzalez's line drive last April. Hale regrets it, saying he should have first gone on a rehab stint.

''I'm not talking about the fear of being hit,'' Hale said. ''He just didn't have the same kind of snap to his ball.''

Bradley got Gonzalez to fly to center in the first time he faced him since the injury.

''I had guys after that first inning say, `How was it facing CarGo?''' Bradley said. ''To be honest, I'm so far past that.''

RACING & BASEBALL

Daytona 500 champ Denny Hamlin attended the game. Gonzalez, who was at the race in Florida, presented him with a Rockies jersey.

UP NEXT

The teams meet again Thursday, with D-backs' Robbie Ray facing Rockies' Jordan Lyles, who is making his first big-league start since surgery on his right big toe last year.

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