Kelly, Freeland Set Diamondbacks Vs Rockies at Coors Field

Merrill Kelly will start for the Arizona Diamondbacks in diamondbacks vs rockies on Friday at 8:40 p.m. ET at Coors Field, with Kyle Freeland lined up for Colorado. Arizona enters at 20-22, third in the NL West, while the Rockies are 17-27 and fifth.

Kelly at Coors Field

Kelly gets the ball for Arizona against a Rockies lineup that has Freeland as the expected starter. The matchup puts two teams trying to climb out of losing records in the same spot, with the Diamondbacks carrying a two-game edge in the standings and a better division position.

Vargas and Johnston

Ildemaro Vargas leads the Diamondbacks with a.331 batting average. Troy Johnston is sixth in the league at.326, giving Colorado one of its few clearly listed contact bats in a game where offense could decide the shape of the night early.

The pitching line also carries the season’s friction. Kelly is 2-3 with a 7.62 ERA, while Freeland is 1-4 with a 6.00 ERA, numbers that leave both clubs looking for cleaner innings than their records have shown so far.

Injury List Pressure

Arizona is already without Carlos Santana on the 10-day injured list because of a groin injury, and its longer-term absences include A.J. Puk, Cristian Mena, Jordan Lawlar, Blake Walston, Corbin Burnes, Andrew Saalfrank, Justin Martinez and Pavin Smith on the 60-day injured list. Colorado is dealing with Chase Dollander, Ryan Feltner and Jimmy Herget on the 15-day injured list, plus Kris Bryant, Jeff Criswell, McCade Brown, RJ Petit and Pierson Ohl on the 60-day injured list.

That leaves Friday’s start as a direct test of depth for both teams. With the Diamondbacks sitting third in the NL West and the Rockies fifth, the result at Coors Field feeds straight into two clubs that need cleaner pitching and healthier rosters before the standings move in either direction.