Three innings into the Rockies-Diamondbacks game at Coors Field on Wednesday night, the D-Backs already had lost two pitchers to injuries. Starter Shelby Miller, who only pitched one inning, was a serious enough concern that he was on a late flight back to Phoenix so he can have his left elbow examined today.

So with one out in the fourth, and the Rockies already leading 13-1, manager Torey Lovullo decided to bite the bullet and called on Daniel Descalso's and Alex Avila to work the final 4 2/3 innings in what became a 19-2 Rockies victory, snapping the Diamondbacks nine-game winning streak at Coors Field.

Descalso became the first non-pitcher to be called into a game as early as the fourth inning since Sal Bando came on in the fourth inning for the Brewers at the Royals on Aug. 29, 1979. Bando worked three innings, giving up two runs in what was an 18-8 loss.

Descalso worked 2 2/3 innings, the first non-pitcher to work more than one inning since Jose Oquendo of the Cardinals pitched four innings against the Braves on May 14, 1988.

Descalso and Avila's appearances were the 10th and 11th time a position player has pitched for the Diamdonbacks, and the fourth time for Descalso.

Mound Matters: D-Backs Pitching In

D-Backs	Date	Opp	L	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO
Alex Avila	7/11/2018	Col	0	2	1	0	0	0	0	0
Jeff Cirillo	8/20/2007	Mil	0	1	0	0	0	0	2	1
Daniel Descalso	8/1/2017	ChC	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
Daniel Descalso	8/20/2017	Min	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
Daniel Descalso	5/4/2018	Hou	0	0.2	0	0	0	0	0	1
Daniel Descalso	7/11/2018	Col	0	2.2	4	3	3	2	1	1
Steve Finley	8/30/2001	SF	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	0
Mark Grace	9/2/2002	LA	0	1	1	1	1	1	0	0
Jeff Mathis	7/8/2018	SD	1	1	1	1	1	1	0	1
Augie Ojeda	8/14/2007	Fla	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
Josh Wilson	5/11/2009	Cin	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	0

Brent Mayne, who became the first position player to appear on the mound for the Rockies, worked one inning against the Braves on Aug. 22, 2000, and picked up the extra-inning victory. Todd Zeile is the other Rockies position player to appear in a game, working one inning on Sept. 14, 2002 in a 16-3 loss to the Dodgers.

Rockies Double Duty

Rockies	Date	Opp	W	L	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO
Brent Mayne	8/22/2000	Atl	1	0	1	1	0	0	0	1	0
Todd Zeile	9/14/2002	LA	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	1

With the victory the Rockies are 47-45, in fourth place in the NL West, 3 1/2 games behind the division-leading Diamondbacks. The 47-45 record equals sixth-best record in Rockies history at the 92-game mark. Three of the four better starts resulted in the Rockies going to the postseason. They were 46-46 after 92 games en route to the only World Series appearance in franchise history in 2007.

Year	W	L	PCT.	RS	RA	Diff	Season	Finish	Postseason
2017	52	40	0.565	463	433	30	87-75	3	Wildcard
1995	51	41	0.554	504	489	15	77-67	2	Wildcard
2009	50	42	0.543	464	413	51	92-70	2	Wildcard
2010	50	42	0.543	442	405	37	83-79	3
1996	48	44	0.522	565	563	2	83-79	3
2018	47	45	0.511	444	456	-12	TBD	TBD
2000	47	45	0.511	572	538	34	82-80	4
2003	46	46	0.5	498	498	0	74-88	4
2007	46	46	0.5	452	458	-6	90-73	2	NL Pennant
1994	44	48	0.478	468	501	-33	53-64	3
1997	44	48	0.478	530	536	-6	83-79	3
2006	44	48	0.478	426	423	3	76-86	4
2011	44	48	0.478	407	410	-3	73-89	4
2013	44	48	0.478	419	417	2	74-88	5

Thursday Stats Watch: Pitching In on Wednesday Night

Mound Matters: D-Backs Pitching In

Rockies Double Duty