The Arizona Diamondbacks managed to walk away with a series win this weekend, but make no mistake — this was not the type of performance that inspires long-term confidence. Against a Colorado Rockies team that entered the weekend with a historically bad 7–37 record, the D-backs’ pitching staff showcased both extremes. Elite shutdown dominance and a complete, unexplainable collapse.
The weekend couldn’t have started much better for Arizona. Corbin Burnes, the D-backs’ ace, looked every bit like the Cy Young winner they signed during the offseason coming into 2025. Burnes carved up Colorado’s lineup on Friday night, throwing six shutout innings while striking out 10 and allowing just two hits. It was exactly the kind of tone-setting performance the Diamondbacks needed coming off an inconsistent stretch of play.
Diamondbacks pitching collapse overshadows series win against historically bad Rockies
If Friday was a reminder of how good Arizona can be when firing on all cylinders, Saturday was a harsh reality check of just how fragile this team’s pitching depth really is.
Despite racing out to an 11-6 lead, the Diamondbacks completely unraveled. The Rockies turned Chase Field into Coors Field South, torching Arizona’s bullpen for eight runs in the late innings. Jordan Beck tormented Arizona’s pitchers with two home runs and a triple, driving in three runs and scoring four. Ezequiel Tovar put together a career night with five hits, including a home run of his own.
Arizona’s offensive effort, powered by home runs from Suárez and Alek Thomas, went completely to waste. The 14-12 loss was just Colorado’s second win since May 1 — and it came at the expense of a bad outing from Zac Gallen, followed by the Diamondbacks bullpen that looked completely lost. Simply put, Arizona’s pitching didn’t just falter — it vanished. You couldn’t find it in the bullpen, in the dugout, or anywhere remotely close to the ballpark.
Thankfully for Arizona, Merrill Kelly stepped up Sunday and played the role of stopper. The veteran right-hander was masterful, pitching seven scoreless innings while striking out a season-high 11 batters and allowing just one hit. It was the perfect bounce-back performance.
The Diamondbacks walked away with the series win, improving to 25–22, while the Rockies sank further into the record books with an abysmal 8–38 mark. But anyone watching this series closely knows Arizona’s pitching staff left more questions than answers.
Sure, Burnes and Kelly looked dominant — but the bullpen’s collapse on Saturday was just the latest entry on a growing list of concerns. If Arizona can’t confidently put away a team like Colorado when ahead by five runs, how can they expect to contend against playoff-caliber opponents?
The talent is there. But unless the D-backs address their glaring inconsistencies, they’ll continue riding this uncomfortable rollercoaster — and sooner or later, that ride could derail their season.