Rockies get to McCarthy, end D-backs' win streak
PHOENIX (AP) -- Didi Gregorius could hardy have asked for a better start to his career with the Diamondbacks.
Gregorius was sporting a .407 batting average with one hit on the night when a pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning got away from Rockies reliever Josh Outman and drilled the 23-year-old shortstop on the side of the helmet. Gregorius went down immediately and trainers and coaches rushed out to home plate to aid him.
The Rockies went on to win the game 6-3, but the victory wasn't the only topic of discussion in both clubhouses. Gregorius, manager Kirk Gibson said, could end up the seven-day disabled list for concussions even though he was able to stand and walk off the field.
Gregorius suffered a contusion to the right temple of his head and will undergo further tests on the injury. His status is day-to-day, the team announced.
"They (trainers) brought him in and he completed the written test, he passed that with flying colors," Gibson said. "It shows no neurological problems. They are doing a CT scan for precautionary measures. We will see what that shows and there is a possibility of a seven-day DL (disabled list)."
Outman said he planned to look for Gregorius before Saturday's game to apologize in person and admitted it was still on his mind after the game.
"Just a fastball that got away. Obviously the last thing I want to do there is hit somebody, especially in the head," Outman said. "I heard on the TV he's OK, so I'm very happy to hear that, and I wish him a full and speedy recovery. It's unnerving anytime that happens."
Cliff Pennington came on to run for Gregorius, and the D-backs went on to load the bases with one out, but they came up empty and were shut down in the final two innings.
The Rockies scored five of their runs on two-out hits -- a bases loaded double from Troy Tulowitzki in the fifth inning and Michael Cuddyer's two-run single in the first -- to snap the Diamondbacks' three-game winning streak and stay in first place in the NL West at 15-8.
"Big-time hit by a big-time player," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said of Tulowitzki's double, which came with his team trailing 3-2. "We've done a nice job with runners in scoring position and we've gotten the hit most of the time."
Wilin Rosario added his fifth home run of the season, a solo shot in the sixth.
Juan Nicasio (3-0) pitched long enough to earn the win, going five innings and allowing three runs on four hits. He struck out two and walked one.
D-backs starter Brandon McCarthy went six innings and allowed six runs on nine hits. He struck out seven but dropped to 0-3 on the season with a 7.48 ERA.
"I have never been through a stretch like this," McCarthy said. "I am not one to sit around feeling sorry for myself. ... It gets pretty frustrating pretty quick and makes your margin of error so small. Like in the first inning, if you take away those two runs, you have some room in the back end, but those things pile up. It just puts you on a razor's edge, and if you are not sharp all the way through then you're going to get hurt."
The Diamondbacks (13-10) took a 3-2 lead in the third when leadoff hitter Gerardo Parra doubled, took third on a groundout and then scored on another grounder. He evaded the tag by Rosario despite a risky decision to head home on a hard-hit ball to shortstop by Paul Goldschmidt that Tulowitzki fielded but threw wide to the plate for an error.
Parra extended his hitting streak to a career-high 11 games and reached base for the 22nd time in 23 games this season.
Cuddyer's hit gave the Rockies the early lead after Jordan Pacheco and Carlos Gonzalez reached base on back-to-back singles and moved up a base each on a long fly ball from Tulowitzki.
NOTES: Jonathan Cooper, the Cardinals' first-round draft pick from Thursday's NFL Draft, threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the game. ... OF Jason Kubel will appear as a designated hitter in a game at the team's Scottsdale facility on Saturday. Kubel is on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left quadriceps. ... Country music duo Florida-Georgia Line took part in batting practice and fielded grounders with the Diamondbacks during the pregame workout. The group was recently named New Artist of the Year by the Academy of Country Music.