DENVER – Jon Gray didn’t allow a hit until the seventh inning to score his first win of the season, and the Colorado Rockies defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-3 Thursday night.
Gray (1-0) allowed the three opponents to reach the base in six innings. Third baseman Ryan McMahon helped him, catching a gloved field from Tim Locastro and removing the fast hitter with half a step.
In the second half of the season, Gray threw 83 pitches. He was looking to become the second Colorado pitcher to get a non-hitter – the first was Ubaldo Jiménez, on April 17, 2010, against Atlanta.
Venezuelan David Peralta hit a hat-trick at the start of the seventh half, when he found a slider and placed the ball between the left and center field. Pavin Smith hit an RBI single on the next field.
The 10,836 spectators at Coors Field cheered Gray after Peralta interrupted him without hitting. With two outings, the pitcher walked Asdrúbal Cabrera, from Venezuela, and gave the mound to Yency Almonte.
Daniel Bard saved with two on board in the ninth and got two outs for the second save. The loss was for Merrill Kelly.
For Diamondbacks, the Venezuelans Peralta 4-1 with a marked race, Eduardo Escobar 2-1 with a marked race and two RBIs. Dominicana Geraldo Perdomo 1-0.
For the Rockies, Raimel Tapia made it 4-1 with a marked run.