DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 15: Starting pitcher Merrill Kelly #29 of the Arizona Diamondbacks throws against the Colorado Rockies in the first inning at Coors Field on May 15, 2026 in Denver, Colorado.

D-Backs' Kelly throws 1st career complete game at Coors Field

The Associated Press
1 hour ago
Matthew Stockman / Getty Images Sport / Getty

DENVER (AP) — Merrill Kelly threw his first career complete game, Ildemaro Vargas was 4 for 5 with a double and two RBIs and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Colorado Rockies 9-1 on Friday night.

Kelly (3-3) allowed four hits and had three strikeouts without a walk. The 37-year-old right-hander threw 100 pitches, 73 for strikes, in the fourth complete game in the majors this season.

Gabriel Moreno drove in three runs, and Ryan Waldschmidt had two RBIs as Arizona opened a stretch of 13 games against only the Rockies and San Francisco Giants. The Diamondbacks are 21-22.

Moreno and Corbin Carroll added two hits apiece, and Nolan Arenado went 1 for 1 with an RBI double and four walks.

Vargas hit a run-scoring single that sparked Arizona’s six-run first inning.

Colorado's Kyle Freeland (1-5) gave up seven runs and eight hits and walked four in 3 2/3 innings.

Hunter Goodman hit his 11th homer of the season in the first for the Rockies. Moniak and Ezequiel Tovar each doubled.

Arizona made it 2-1 in the seventh on Lourdes Gurriel Jr.'s sacrifice fly and Moreno's double.

Up next

Arizona LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (4-0, 2.25 ERA) was scheduled to start Saturday against Tomoyuki Sugano (3-3, 4.07).

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

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