Jake McCarthy's 2-out, 2-run single in 9th lifts the Diamondbacks over the Rockies 4-3

PHOENIX (AP) — Jake McCarthy hit a two-out, two-run single down the left-field line in the ninth inning to lift the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 4-3 win over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night.

The Diamondbacks continued their hot streak, winning five in a row and 17 of 20. Arizona secured its ninth straight series win.

“We let that team give us the chance and then, when it was the right time, we took advantage,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “It was a great win.”

Arizona started its ninth-inning rally with a one-out triple from Corbin Carroll, who ripped a liner into the right-field corner and easily made it to third. Victor Vodnik (3-3) recovered to strike out Kevin Newman before Adrian Del Castillo and Geraldo Perdomo walked to load the bases.

That brought up McCarthy, who is among the hottest hitters in baseball. The left-handed batter smacked a two-strike fastball down the third-base line, and the ball easily got past Ryan McMahon, who was shading McCarthy well off the bag.

“I was able to flick one to left,” McCarthy said. “You're going to see that highlight, but Del Castillo, Perdomo, Corbin — that was awesome. If they go one, two, three, I don't hit. That's just a testament to our team, the no quit.”

The Rockies had a 3-0 lead in the third inning. Jordan Beck had an RBI single in the second and Brenton Doyle added another in the third. Michael Toglia brought home the third run with an RBI double down the left-field line.

The D-backs cut the advantage to 3-2 in the bottom of the third. Lourdes Gurriel Jr.'s groundout scored a run and Josh Bell added an RBI double.

Colorado lefty Austin Gomber gave up two runs on six hits over six innings, walking one and striking out four. He’s one of the few pitchers to slow down the D-backs’ lineup in recent weeks. Arizona had scored more than seven runs per game over its last 15 contests.

Noah Davis and Tyler Kinley threw scoreless innings of relief before Vodnik's tough ninth inning. It was his third blown save in 11 chances.

“I feel like I made some pretty good pitches,” Vodnik said. “They just got me today.”

Diamondbacks left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez made his second start of the season, giving up three runs on six hits over five innings. He walked one and struck out five. Rodriguez — who signed an $80 million, four-year deal in December — missed the first four months of the season with a strained shoulder.

McCarthy had three hits. Dylan Floro, Kevin Ginkel, Paul Sewald and Joe Mantiply (6-2) all threw a scoreless inning of relief without giving up a hit.

“Credit to their bullpen for shutting us down,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “We couldn't get anything going.”

TRAINER'S ROOM

Diamondbacks: 2B Ketel Marte had an MRI on his troublesome lower left leg. Lovullo said it revealed a “low-grade ankle sprain” and Marte is considered day-to-day.

UP NEXT

The Diamondbacks send LHP Jordan Montgomery (7-6, 6.37 ERA) to the mound for Wednesday afternoon's series finale. The Rockies will counter with RHP Tanner Gordon (0-3, 6.15).

The value of Rodriguez's contract has been corrected in this story.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Noah Davis fields a sacrifice bunt by Arizona Diamondbacks' Jose Herrera before throwing to first base for the out during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Arizona Diamondbacks' Corbin Carroll (7) and Geraldo Perdomo, center, jump on teammate Jake McCarthy after McCarthy's walk off two-run single against the Colorado Rockies during the ninth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks won 4-3. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Colorado Rockies second baseman Brendan Rodgers walks off the field as Arizona Diamondbacks players celebrate a two-run walk off single by Diamondbacks' Jake McCarthy after the ninth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Arizona Diamondbacks' Jake McCarthy, center, celebrates his two-run walk off single against the Colorado Rockies with teammates after the ninth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Colorado Rockies first baseman Michael Toglia, right, beats Arizona Diamondbacks' Jake McCarthy (31) to first base for the out as Rockies starting pitcher Austin Gomber (26) avoids a collision during the third inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Colorado Rockies' Ezequiel Tovar (14) scores a run as Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Jose Herrera waits for a possible throw during the third inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Colorado Rockies' Brenton Doyle connects on a run-scoring single against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the third inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez, right, interacts with Diamondbacks catcher Jose Herrera during the third inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suárez is unable to make a stop on a run-scoring double by Colorado Rockies' Michael Toglia during the third inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Colorado Rockies pitcher Austin Gomber throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Arizona Diamondbacks' Josh Bell connects for a run-scoring double against the Colorado Rockies during the third inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Nearly two months after an explosion sent flaming debris raining down on the Turks and Caicos, SpaceX launched another mammoth Starship rocket on Thursday, but lost contact minutes into the test flight as the spacecraft came tumbling down and broke apart.

This time, wreckage from the latest explosion was seen streaming from the skies over Florida. It was not immediately known whether the spacecraft's self-destruct system had kicked in to blow it up.

The 403-foot (123-meter) rocket blasted off from Texas. SpaceX caught the first-stage booster back at the pad with giant mechanical arms, but engines on the spacecraft on top started shutting down as it streaked eastward for what was supposed to be a controlled entry over the Indian Ocean, half a world away. Contact was lost as the spacecraft went into an out-of-control spin.

Starship reached nearly 90 miles (150 kilometers) in altitude before trouble struck and before four mock satellites could be deployed. It was not immediately clear where it came down, but images of flaming debris were captured from Florida, including near Cape Canaveral, and posted online.

The space-skimming flight was supposed to last an hour.

“Unfortunately this happened last time too, so we have some practice at this now,” SpaceX flight commentator Dan Huot said from the launch site.

SpaceX later confirmed that the spacecraft experienced “a rapid unscheduled disassembly" during the ascent engine firing. "Our team immediately began coordination with safety officials to implement pre-planned contingency responses,” the company said in a statement posted online.

Starship didn't make it quite as high or as far as last time.

NASA has booked Starship to land its astronauts on the moon later this decade. SpaceX’s Elon Musk is aiming for Mars with Starship, the world’s biggest and most powerful rocket.

Like last time, Starship had mock satellites to release once the craft reached space on this eighth test flight as a practice for future missions. They resembled SpaceX’s Starlink internet satellites, thousands of which currently orbit Earth, and were meant to fall back down following their brief taste of space.

Starship’s flaps, computers and fuel system were redesigned in preparation for the next big step: returning the spacecraft to the launch site just like the booster.

During the last demo, SpaceX captured the booster at the launch pad, but the spacecraft blew up several minutes later over the Atlantic. No injuries or major damage were reported.

According to an investigation that remains ongoing, leaking fuel triggered a series of fires that shut down the spacecraft’s engines. The on-board self-destruct system kicked in as planned.

SpaceX said it made several improvements to the spacecraft following the accident, and the Federal Aviation Administration recently cleared Starship once more for launch.

Starships soar out of the southernmost tip of Texas near the Mexican border. SpaceX is building another Starship complex at Cape Canaveral, home to the company’s smaller Falcon rockets that ferry astronauts and satellites to orbit.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

The booster of SpaceX's mega rocket Starship is recaptured during a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

The booster of SpaceX's mega rocket Starship is recaptured during a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

SpaceX's mega rocket Starship lifts off for a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

SpaceX's mega rocket Starship makes a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

The booster of SpaceX's mega rocket Starship is recaptured during a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

SpaceX's mega rocket Starship lifts off for a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

SpaceX's mega rocket Starship makes a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

The booster of SpaceX's mega rocket Starship is recaptured during a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

SpaceX's mega rocket Starship lifts off for a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

SpaceX's mega rocket Starship makes a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

SpaceX's mega rocket Starship is prepared for a test flight in stiff winds from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

SpaceX's mega rocket Starship is prepared for a test flight in stiff winds from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)