The Arizona Diamondbacks head to Denver for a Thursday, September 24 road game against the Colorado Rockies, with first pitch at 3:10 PM ET at Coors Field. Eduardo Rodriguez gets the ball for Arizona against Colorado's Tanner Gordon. With the regular season winding down and every game carrying weight in the standings picture, this is exactly the kind of road trip where the D-backs need to take care of business against a Rockies club that has been rebuilding with youth throughout 2026. Catch the action on DBACKS.TV or Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.

Arizona Diamondbacks at Colorado Rockies: September 24, 2026 Game Preview

Pitching Matchup: Eduardo Rodriguez vs. Tanner Gordon

Eduardo Rodriguez draws the start for Arizona at one of the most pitching-unfriendly venues in baseball. Coors Field is a unique challenge for any left- or right-handed starter — the thin Denver air turns routine fly balls into adventure and inflates ERAs across the board. Rodriguez will need to work efficiently, keep the ball on the ground when possible, and limit the big inning that Coors has a way of manufacturing out of nowhere.

On the other side, Colorado sends Tanner Gordon to the hill. Gordon is a younger arm the Rockies have been developing, and while specific stat lines are unavailable heading into this one, Arizona's lineup should have a reasonable opportunity to generate traffic against him. The D-backs' approach at the plate — working counts and making contact — can be especially effective against pitchers still finding their footing at the major league level.

Colorado Rockies Starting Lineup

• Jake McCarthy — LF
• Connor Norby — 2B
• Hunter Goodman — DH
• TJ Rumfield — 1B
• Cole Carrigg — CF
• Kyle Karros — 3B
• Brett Sullivan — C
• Jordan Beck — RF
• Ezequiel Tovar — SS

Keys to Watch for Arizona

• Rodriguez's command early: Getting through the Rockies' lineup without a crooked number in the first two or three innings is essential at Coors. A clean start gives Arizona a real chance to win this game outright.
• Capitalizing on Gordon's inexperience: If Arizona's hitters can run up pitch counts and get into Colorado's bullpen, that opens the door. The Rockies' relief corps has been inconsistent this season, and deep at-bats pay dividends late.
• Ezequiel Tovar at the bottom of the order: The young shortstop batting ninth for Colorado is a legitimate threat. Rodriguez cannot afford to let Tovar beat him and flip the lineup back to the top with men on base.
• Road discipline: Coors rewards aggressive swings and punishes pitchers who lose the zone. Arizona's hitters need to stay disciplined and not expand early in counts just because the ball travels.

Prediction

This is a winnable game for the Diamondbacks. Coors Field is never easy, but Arizona has the pitching matchup in its favor on paper and should generate enough offense to support Rodriguez through a competitive outing. The wild card is always the altitude — one bad inning can erase a lead in a hurry. If Rodriguez navigates five or six innings without a blowup, Arizona's bullpen closes it out. D-backs win, 6-4.