At their best beyond nine

By JOSE M. ROMERO

Associated Press

Associated Press Sports

updated 12:27 a.m. ET April 28, 2013

PHOENIX (AP) - Extra-inning games seem to suit the Arizona Diamondbacks quite well.

The Diamondbacks improved to 6-0 in extra frames this season after beating the Colorado Rockies 3-2 in 10 innings on Saturday night. Cody Ross hit a long fly ball to center field that allowed A.J. Pollock to score from third base without a throw, and Ross' teammates sprinted from the dugout to congratulate him after Pollock crossed home plate.

Ross also tripled in a run in the first inning to give Arizona a 2-0 lead, three batters after Pollock hit a solo home run.

J.J. Putz earned the win with a scoreless top of the 10th to improve to 2-0. Pollock led off the bottom of the inning with a single off Edgmer Escalona (1-1).

With one out, he stole second base and went to third on a throwing error by Rockies catcher Wilin Rosario. The Rockies then intentionally walked Miguel Montero to have Escalona face Ross.

Ross hit a ball more than 400 feet to center and the Rockies had no chance to throw out the speedy Pollock.

"That guy has good stuff. He throws hard and has a good slider," Ross said of Escalona. "I was just looking for something out over the plate that I could get some good wood on and fortunately it got in the air and Pollock was able to score easily."

The Diamondbacks turned three double plays in the first five innings.

The Rockies loaded the bases in the first and fifth innings against Diamondbacks starter Wade Miley, but failed to score each time.

On the night of a garden gnome giveaway promotion bearing his name, Miley struggled with his control more than in any of his previous four starts this season. He lasted only 4 1-3 innings and threw 98 pitches, walking seven.

Miley walked four in the first inning, but got out of the situation with a double play and a strikeout.

"I just didn't have it tonight and that was pretty much the bottom line. I tried to battle through it but didn't have it," Miley said. "I was scuffling out there. I was lucky."

Rosario homered off reliever Brad Ziegler in the sixth, and the Rockies tied it 2-2 when Troy Tulowitzki singled in Dexter Fowler with two outs in the seventh.

Fowler had reached second on a hustle double, sliding head first and avoiding the tag. Tulowitzki was thrown out at second trying to stretch his hit into a double.

The Diamondbacks had a chance to take the lead in the seventh, but Gerardo Parra was stranded after he singled and reached third base on a wild pitch.

The Rockies had their best late chance in the eighth when Michael Cuddyer and Rosario singled to start the inning.

But Cuddyer was picked off on a throw the catcher, Montero, made to shortstop Cliff Pennington and Rosario was doubled off second base after straying too far off the bag on a line out to Parra in right field.

Cuddyer was incredulous at being picked off, and described the game as odd.

"I think that's a good word," Cuddyer said. "Sometimes it happens , unfortunately. You don't get the big hit and we didn't. We had a lot of opportunities to get it, but we just didn't come up with it."

NOTES: Diamondbacks shortstop Didi Gregorius felt soreness from the contusion on the right side of his head a day after being hit in the helmet by a pitch from the Rockies' Josh Outman in the seventh inning Friday. Gregorius did not play in Saturday's game. ... The Diamondbacks played a man short on their 25-man active roster on Saturday while deciding whether to make a roster move involving Gregorius. ... Diamondbacks OF Jason Kubel, on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left quadriceps, played in an extended spring training game Saturday and is scheduled to continue his rehabilitation at Triple-A Reno on Monday and Tuesday.

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At their best beyond nine

Extra-innings seem to suit the Diamondbacks just fine, as Arizona improved to 6-0 in extra-inning games this season on Saturday.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/51691115/ns/sports-baseball/

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