The Arizona Diamondbacks experienced many injuries and 17 road games in April but came out of the opening month with a 14-12 record after winning nine of their past 11 games.
The Diamondbacks begin the May slate on Saturday with the hope of keeping momentum going after winning the first two games of their series with the Colorado Rockies in Phoenix.
Colorado is trying to right itself having started the season 1-10 on the road.
“I know we had a slow start to the season, but we’ve kept a positive attitude and trusted the process,” said left fielder David Peralta, who leads the Diamondbacks with a .284 batting average. “We trust everyone. We never give up. We’re just grinding every single at-bat.”
Before Friday night’s 7-2 win over Colorado, Arizona learned outfielder Kole Calhoun would be lost for at least six to eight weeks after having surgery to remove a split hamstring tendon in his left leg. He suffered the injury Tuesday night while attempting to steal third base against the San Diego Padres.
“My understanding is there are other tendons that will bear the load in that area,” Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen said. “It’s a procedure that had been done in other (sports) — the NFL specifically — it has been done before.”
Outfielders Ketel Marte (strained right hamstring) and Tim Locastro (dislocated pinkie), first baseman Christian Walker (strained right oblique), starting pitcher Taylor Widener (right groin strain), closer Joakim Soria (strained left calf) and setup man Tyler Clippard (strained left calf) were also placed on the injured list by the Diamondbacks in April.
Right-hander Zac Gallen (1-0, 2.16 ERA) will start for Arizona on Saturday while the Rockies will go with left-hander Austin Gomber (1-3, 6.65).
Gallen is 1-0 with a 1.96 ERA in four starts against Colorado in his career. He has allowed 26 hits with 28 strikeouts and nine walks in 23 innings against the Rockies.
In his most recent start in the first game of a doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday, Gallen allowed just one hit and two walks while throwing a seven-inning shutout for his first win of the year.
Gomber has faced Arizona once before, in relief, pitching 2/3 of an inning in the 2018 season with the St. Louis Cardinals. He has 20 starts in his 48-game major-league career with an 8-6 record and 4.25 ERA.
He will try to tame an Arizona lineup that has tallied 23 hits in the first two games of the series, including a home run by Josh Rojas in each game.
Colorado’s 9-17 record is the second-worst 26-game start in franchise history, behind only the 6-20 mark by the 2005 team.
In the Rockies’ 11 road games this season, they have been outscored 65-26. They are batting only .209 with runners in scoring position in those games.
“We haven’t done it yet this season offensively,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “We’ve got to get to that point where we are scoring more runs. We have not gotten the big hit so far this season.”
