Montgomery Struggles in Rockies Return: D-backs Fall 8-2

D-backs Lose Third Straight, Fall Below .500

The Arizona Diamondbacks lost their third straight game on Saturday, falling to the Colorado Rockies 8-2. Merrill Kelly started for Arizona and allowed four runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out five and walked two. The Rockies scored two runs in the first inning, one in the third, and one in the fourth to take an early 4-0 lead. The D-backs got on the board in the fifth inning on a two-run home run by Christian Walker, but the Rockies added three more runs in the fifth and one in the sixth to put the game out of reach.

The D-backs are now 19-20 on the season and have fallen below .500 for the first time since April 12. They are now 3 1/2 games behind the first-place San Diego Padres in the NL West.

Montgomery Struggles in Return to Colorado

The loss was particularly disappointing for Montgomery, who was making his first start against the Rockies since he was traded to the D-backs in December. Montgomery allowed four runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings, and his ERA rose to 5.19. He struck out five and walked two.

Montgomery said after the game that he was "frustrated" with his performance. "I just didn't have it today," he said. "I couldn't locate my fastball, and I was leaving too many pitches over the plate. They made me pay for it."

D-backs Offense Continues to Struggle

The D-backs offense has struggled in recent weeks, and they were unable to get much going against the Rockies on Saturday. They managed just six hits and two runs, and they struck out 10 times. It was the third time in the last four games that the D-backs have been held to two runs or fewer.

The D-backs will look to avoid a four-game sweep on Sunday when they face the Rockies in the series finale. Madison Bumgarner will start for Arizona, while German Marquez will start for Colorado.