Nolan Arenado’s diving play clinches win for Rockies in season opener

He provided his usual otherworldly defense and went 2-for-3 at the plate in what was a strange game.

CHRISTIAN-lighter

BREAKING: It’s 2017, and Nolan Arenado is still good at baseball.

The Colorado Rockies were nursing a two-run lead with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning in their season opener Monday. The Brewers had a runner on first who looked like he’d advance when Ryan Braun roped a hanging breaking ball down the third-base line.

Only he didn’t — and neither did Braun.

Arenado clinched a win for Colorado with this diving beauty that started the 5-4-3 double play. He provided his usual otherworldly defense and went 2-for-3 at the plate in what was a strange game.

Jon Gray came out firing with seven strikeouts and no runs allowed in his first four innings. But then he started to get hit around in the fifth and had to be pulled before getting an out.

Colorado’s bullpen pitched well in support of Gray. Five pitchers combined to allow no runs and one hit over the final five innings. Scott Oberg, Carlos Estevez, Mike Dunn, Adam Ottavino and Greg Holland, who got his first save since September 2015, each pitched an inning.

Mark Reynolds did most of the heavy lifting offensively with a two-run homer.

The Rockies, as literally everyone pointed out, are on pace to go 162-0. Seems sustainable!

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