The NL West-leading Diamondbacks are back to their winning ways away from home. Ian Kennedy hopes he can keep that and his team's run of brilliant starting pitching going Tuesday night against the Rockies.
After their five-game road winning streak and four-game overall run ended with a 2-1 loss in Miami on Sunday, the D-backs (26-19) picked up their third straight victory over the Rockies on Monday, a 5-1 win.
Patrick Corbin's three-hitter came against a Colorado team that had scored 31 runs while taking three of four from San Francisco over the weekend.
"Obviously we needed to play better, but he pitched a really good game," Colorado third baseman Nolan Arenado said.
The Diamondbacks, winners of 10 of 14, have seen their starters compile a 1.43 ERA to help the team take five of the last six.
The worst start during that period came from Kennedy (2-3, 4.88 ERA), who gave up three runs in five innings with seven strikeouts in a 5-3 win over the Braves on Wednesday. The right-hander walked three for a fourth consecutive outing but earned his first victory since his season debut April 1.
"You want to throw deeper into the game, but you'll take every single one of these (wins)," Kennedy told the Diamondbacks' official website. "Just happy the team picked me up today."
That didn't happen April 19, when Kennedy threw six innings of three-run ball in a 3-1 loss at Coors Field.
Jhoulys Chacin (3-3, 4.07) won his third consecutive start that night by allowing three singles in 6 1/3 innings, although he left with a strained lower back that landed him on the DL.
Since returning, the right-hander has posted a 7.79 ERA while losing all three starts. Chacin was staked to a 6-0 lead after three innings Thursday, but he lasted just 5 1/3 in an 8-6 loss to the Giants after giving up a career-worst eight runs.
"(Matt) Cain pitched terrible (with six runs allowed in 6 1/3 innings), but Chacin pitched even worse," said left fielder Carlos Gonzalez, 4 for 30 against Arizona this season after an 0-for-4 effort Monday.
Chacin, though, has gone 4-2 with a 2.50 ERA in 10 starts against the D-backs.
Rookie shortstop Didi Gregorius, who had one of the hits off Chacin last month, is batting .615 (8 for 13) against the Rockies in 2013 after recording his second consecutive three-hit game Monday.
Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, 1 for 7 off Chacin, is hitting .188 against Colorado (24-21) this year. Goldschmidt, though, is batting .448 during a team-high seven-game hitting streak.
Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who also has at least a hit in seven straight, had a two-run homer off Kennedy on April 19. And Jordan Pacheco is 9 for 18 against the Diamondbacks in 2013.
Arizona third baseman Eric Chavez lifted his average to .343 with three hits Monday, but it's uncertain if he'll be in the lineup Tuesday.
"You'll find if I do (play Chavez more), he will wear down a little bit and probably have medical problems," manager Kirk Gibson said. "We can't afford that."
The Diamondbacks have won five of six in this series after losing the first two meetings of the season.
