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AP | FR157181 AP
PHOENIX — Tim Melville pitched seven innings of two-hit ball in his first major league appearance in almost two years, and the Colorado Rockies cruised to a 7-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday.
Melville, a 29-year-old right-hander with just six previous big-league appearances who started this season in independent ball, limited Arizona to a first-inning double and a sixth-inning home run to go with four strikeouts and two walks. He also picked up his first major-league hit — a two-out, fourth-inning single — and his first two career RBIs.
Melville was called up from Triple-A Albuquerque earlier Wednesday to start in place of Jon Gray, whom the Rockies before the game placed on the 60-day injured list with a left foot fracture.
Colorado won the season series with Arizona, 10 games to nine. Ketel Marte and Alex Avila homered for the Diamondbacks, who had their four-game win streak snapped.
The Rockies jumped on struggling Arizona starter Mike Leake (9-10) early with two runs on three straight singles and a fielder’s choice in the top of the first.
In the fourth, a hit batter, four singles and a sacrifice fly produced three more runs and a 5-0 lead for the Rockies. Leake got through five innings and was charged with five runs on eight hits. He’s allowed 17 earned runs on 26 hits in 16 innings over his last three starts.
Melville executed a squeeze bunt in the sixth to drive in Yonathan Daza, and Charlie Blackmon drove in his second run of the day with a single after Trevor Story led off the seventh inning with a walk and stolen base.
Marte hit his 27th home run of the season in the sixth inning, a solo shot to right field. Avila took Jesus Tinoco deep in the eighth for his ninth of the year.
PAYAMPS DEBUT
Diamondbacks right-hander Joel Payamps made his major league debut and allowed two runs on four hits in three innings. The 25-year-old from the Dominican Republic also had three strikeouts, with his first one as a big-leaguer coming against the Rockies’ Garrett Hampson.
UP NEXT
Rockies: RHP German Marquez (12-5, 4.71 ERA) gets the call to open a four-game series at St. Louis on Thursday. Marquez is 4-0 over his last five starts.
Diamondbacks: After Thursday’s off day, the Diamondbacks are off to Milwaukee for a three-game series with the Brewers in a matchup of two teams trying to stay in the postseason hunt. Arizona has RHP Merrill Kelly (9-12, 4.63 ERA set to start Friday’s series opener hoping to end the Diamondbacks’ five-game losing streak at Miller Park.