Major League Baseball

Trumbo, Diamondbacks beat Rockies to avert sweep

Published Apr. 6, 2014 6:54 p.m. ET

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The home runs are coming in bunches for Mark Trumbo, and the reasons behind the power surge are the least of his concerns.

Trumbo homered in a fourth straight game, matching a career best and an Arizona team record, and the Diamondbacks averted a sweep by beating Colorado 5-3 on Sunday.

''I couldn't tell you when it's coming or why it's happening,'' said Trumbo, whose two-run shot in the fifth was the 100th homer of his career. ''Maybe the mechanics are just a little more geared to driving the ball right now. It's not something I've consciously thought about too much, but you take what you can get.''

Trumbo's bat backed the pitching of Wade Miley, who went eight strong innings to extend his mastery over the Rockies.

Miley also chipped in at the plate with a career-best three hits, including an RBI single. He also benefited from a defense that turned five double plays as the Diamondbacks won for only the second time in nine games this season.

''Wade did an excellent job, and that's what we needed,'' Trumbo said. ''He's a bulldog. You know he's going to go out there and give you every ounce of stuff that he has that day. His stuff was good today, and the double plays were so timely.''

Miley improved to 7-0 with a 2.52 ERA in 10 career games (nine starts) against the Rockies, matching the longest winning streak against Colorado to start a career. Three of those wins have come at Coors Field.

''My mentality against these guys is the same as it against anybody else,'' Miley said. ''They're very aggressive, and I just try to throw strikes. They're going to get you sometimes. That's just how the game works.''

On Sunday, he got them more often than not. The winning pitcher in Arizona's only other victory this season, Miley (2-1) allowed two runs and seven hits.

''He mixed a lot of fastballs and sliders,'' Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez said. ''We tried to get a rally going but hit into the double plays. He had pretty good sink on the ball, and there was nothing we could do.''

Addison Reed gave up a leadoff single to Gonzalez in the ninth and Gonzalez stole second and went to third on catcher Miguel Montero's throwing error. Troy Tulowitzki walked to put runners on the corners.

But Reed induced Wilin Rosario to ground into a run-scoring double play and then got Nolan Arenado to fly out to left for his second save in as many chances.

Trumbo, who walked in his first two plate appearances, connected off Brett Anderson (0-2) for his fifth home run of the season, a two-run shot in the fifth that sailed into the left-field bleachers and stretched Arizona's lead to 5-0. Anderson went six innings and allowed five runs and 10 hits.

''Trumbo's home run was the one that hurt,'' Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. ''I thought Brett did a great job. I have a lot of confidence in him. He left a few up in the zone. I wouldn't say he left the ball up a lot.''

Colorado got on the scoreboard with sacrifice flies by Drew Stubbs in the fifth and Arenado in the sixth.

A rare error by Arenado, last season's Gold Glove winner at third base, opened the door to a pair of unearned runs for the Diamondbacks in the third inning.

Chris Owings doubled and scored on Miley's fourth-inning single.

The new replay rule figured in a reversed call in the first inning. First-base ump Mike Muchlinski called Colorado leadoff batter Charlie Blackmon out, but the replay showed Blackmon beat first baseman Goldschmidt's flip to Miley, covering the bag, getting his hand on the base with a headfirst slide just ahead of Miley stepping on the bag.

NOTES: The five double plays tied an Arizona club record. . . . Brett Myers (April 23, 2003-April 11, 2009) and John Smoltz (May 6, 1993-Aug. 11, 1996) also had seven-game winning streaks against the Rockies to start their careers. . . . Rockies 1B Justin Morneau had a designated day off on Sunday. . . . Total time for the replay review, initiated by Rockies manager Walt Weiss, was 2 minutes, 14 seconds. . . . Trumbo has five home runs and 13 RBI in six career games at Coors Field.

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