Rockies vs Diamondbacks Preview: Heroic Pitching at Coors Field

The Colorado Rockies are hurting right now, sitting at 19-32 after dropping three straight games. They're heading to Chase Field to face an Arizona team that just won five games in a row. You can feel the pressure building on Colorado's young roster. Arizona is playing lights-out baseball with a 26-23 record and owning a 16-9 home record. The Diamondbacks smell blood in the water. This series started tight—Colorado barely lost 2-1 yesterday when Corbin Carroll singled home the winning run in the ninth inning. Now the Rockies need to find their offense fast.

Hunter Goodman is the Rockies' shining star right now. The 25-year-old catcher is absolutely raking at the plate, hitting .350 in these matchups against Arizona. That's elite hitting for any player—especially from the catcher position where power is rare. Goodman looks like a different player from last year's All-Star season. His teammates need to feed off his energy and confidence. Ezequiel Tovar, the shortstop with a Gold Glove, is also swinging well at .318. These two young guns represent Colorado's future. If they both get hot simultaneously, Arizona's pitchers are in real trouble today.

Colorado's starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano needs to be sharp today. He's got a 2.14 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP, which means he's throwing strikes and limiting baserunners. That's exactly what you want facing a lineup loaded with talent like Arizona's. Corbin Carroll, one of baseball's brightest young stars, is locked in and dangerous. Ketel Marte is a three-time All-Star who hits for both average and power. Then there's veteran Nolan Arenado with ten Gold Glove awards and his incredible defense at third base. Sugano must keep the ball down and avoid mistakes. One bad pitch could disappear over the wall.