Three games into this series and Arizona still hasn't lost a step. The Diamondbacks outlasted the Rockies 12-8 on Thursday, turning a slugfest at Coors Field into their third straight win over Colorado to open the year.
This one didn't come easy. Arizona and Colorado combined for 20 runs, and the Rockies made it interesting late, but the Diamondbacks had answers all night. Nolan Arenado kept doing Nolan Arenado things against his former team, posting 44.5 fantasy points with a night that included multiple extra-base hits and run production in the middle of the order. Geraldo Perdomo was right behind him at 39.5 fantasy points, doing the little things that don't always show up on a scoreboard but were all over this box score — reaching base, moving runners, playing shortstop like a Gold Glover in the making.
The Diamondbacks also got a two-catcher party. Gabriel Moreno put up 34.5 fantasy points and James McCann chipped in 34.0 of his own, an unusual split-duty explosion that speaks to how deep this Arizona lineup ran on this night. When your backup catcher is outproducing most everyday players, you're having one of those games where everything clicks. Pavin Smith added 30.0 fantasy points, and Ketel Marte kept the line moving with 24.5. Eduardo Rodriguez got the win on the mound and still found time to contribute 23.5 fantasy points, a reminder that National League pitchers still have to hold a bat.
Colorado didn't go quietly. Cole Carrigg was the best player on the field regardless of uniform, torching Arizona pitching for 50.0 fantasy points and taking home game MVP honors in a losing effort. It's the kind of individual performance that will get lost in a loss but shouldn't be. Zac Veen backed him up with 37.5 fantasy points, and the 24-year-old outfielder looked every bit like a building block for a Rockies team that needs several. Kyle Karros added 30.5 fantasy points at third base, and T.J. Rumfield chipped in 26.5. The problem wasn't the top of Colorado's lineup — it was everything Arizona did on top of it.
The bigger story here is the pattern. Colorado has now dropped three consecutive games to Arizona to open the season, with the losses stacking up in ugly fashion: 2-7, 3-5, and now this 8-12 defeat. Sandwiched around those defeats was a split with Seattle, a loss and a win, which tells you the Rockies aren't unwatchable — they're just overmatched against this particular division rival right now.
For the Diamondbacks, the early formula looks obvious: get length and traffic on the bases, let Arenado and Perdomo set the tone, and mix in contributions from wherever they come — whether that's a suddenly hot Pavin Smith or a two-catcher outburst nobody saw coming. Arizona's lineup depth was the story of this game as much as any single performance, and if that holds up over a full season, they're going to be a problem for everyone in their division, not just Colorado.
For the Rockies, the concern is more structural. Carrigg and Veen looked like players you can win with. The rest of the lineup needs to catch up, and fast, because early in the season, this sample is already starting to look like a trend rather than a blip. Connor Norby found his way onto the stat sheet Thursday, but a modest fantasy point total from the middle of the order suggests this offense needs another gear before it can hang with a lineup like Arizona's over nine innings.
It's Week 1. There's plenty of runway left. But early standings math still counts, and right now Arizona is building exactly the kind of foundation teams look back on in October. For fantasy players building lineups on JockBroker, Thursday was a clean reminder: Arenado, Perdomo and the Diamondbacks' lineup are must-watch options right now, while Carrigg's monster night in a losing cause is the type of performance worth tracking even when the final score says otherwise.
