Ben Seigel

TL;DR: Late-inning dramatics and solid bullpen work lifted the D-Backs to avoid a sweep in Beantown. If you buy something from a link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. I’ve talked before about the idea of a “stopper” as a pitcher in a starting rotation who can halt a losing streak by at least giving their team a chance to win. In my mind, it’s a separate idea from a starting pitching ace who might be expected to have a wholly different level of pitching production.

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - AUGUST 12: Gabriel Moreno #14 (L) walks to the bench with starting pitcher Merrill Kelly #29 of the Arizona Diamondbacks before the game against the Colorado Rockies at Chase Field on August 12, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Rockies defeated the Diamondbacks 6-4.

TL;DR: An offensive onslaught buoyed an excellent pitching performance to secure the series split. Baseball is a funny sport sometimes. There aren’t very many sports or opportunities in life where you can get embarrassed and then come back less than 24 hours later to face the exact same team and completely flip the script and result of the two contests.