DENVER -- The Colorado Rockies were off Thursday, giving them a day to get away from an utterly agonizing defeat before they begin a three-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday.The Rockies entered the eighth inning Wednesday night leading the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-2. Colorado was poised to sweep a doubleheader and a three-game series, match its season-high five-game winning streak and move within eight games of first place in the National League West for the first time since Aug. 7.Instead, the Dodgers scored three runs in the eighth and torched closer Adam Ottavino for five runs in the ninth. The final four scored on Andrew Toles first career grand slam, giving the Dodgers a 10-8 win and leaving the stunned Rockies to wonder in amazement how things could go so wrong so fast.A day off undoubtedly benefited the Rockies, who went 12-16 in August and will continue a nine-game homestand against the Diamondbacks, who were also off Thursday.The teams have not played since June 26. The Rockies are 8-5 against the Diamondbacks this season and 3-4 at Coors Field.Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado will try to carry his torrid August into September. He set a franchise record for RBI in the month with 36 -- Andres Galarraga set the old record of 33 August RBI in 1996 -- and hit 10 homers along with a .356/.433/.702 slash line.Arenado was actually in a slump during the month, a tailspin he escaped with a two-homer, six-RBI game Aug. 21 against the Chicago Cubs after working late the previous evening with batting practice pitcher Garrett Carson watching video and swinging in the indoor cage at Coors Field until Arenado finally determined he was overstriding.In his final 10 games in August, Arenado went 21-for-40 and hit .525/.578/1.100 with six homers and 17 RBI.I feel like about a month ago, I was kind of changing things and not thinking different pitches, but now Im thinking middle (of the field) and staying positive and trusting myself, Arenado said. Good things are happening.The Diamondbacks have been better on the road (31-34) than at home (25-43). They split two games in San Francisco and are in the midst of an eight-game trip that will conclude against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. The Diamondbacks went 14-14 in August, a vast improvement over their 7-17 July and reached .500 in a month for the first time this season.The Diamondbacks welcomed the recent return of center fielder A.J. Pollock. He broke his right elbow in the waning days of spring training and was reinstated from the 60-day disabled list Aug. 26.An All-Star and Gold Glove winner last year when he hit .315 with 20 homers, 76 RBI and 39 stolen bases, Pollock went hitless in eight at-bats in his first two games but has gone 6-for-12 in his past three with three runs scored, two walks and four stolen bases. His five-month absence left a huge void in the Diamondbacks offense and defense.When you have a player like A.J., whos multi-dimensional, he just takes (care of) the defense at centerfield, and that by itself is a game-changer many times, Diamondbacks chief baseball officer Tony La Russa said. Then you take away what he does offensively. He has a very live bat -- .300 hitter with a ball that jumps (off the bat) and really has exciting legs.Left-hander Robbie Ray will start for Arizona. Hes 7-12 with a 4.28 ERA and is averaging 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings, second in the majors behind Miamis Jose Fernandez (12.7). Ray will have six days rest since his last start Aug. 25 against Atlanta when he gave up two runs and six hits in five innings and took the loss in Atlantas 3-1 win.On his past four starts, Ray is 2-1 with a 1.50 ERA (29 innings, four earned runs) with seven walks and 29 strikeouts.Ray is 1-1 with a 4.10 ERA in five career starts against the Rockies and 1-0 with a 2.76 ERA in three career starts at Coors Field. In two games against the Rockies this season, Ray is 0-1 with an 8.31 ERA.The Diamondbacks are 38-60 against right-handed starters but 18-17 against lefties and will face one for the second straight game. They lost 4-2 Wednesday at San Francisco when Matt Moore started, and Jorge De La Rosa will start for the Rockies.De La Rosa is 8-7 with a 5.09 ERA and is coming off a no-decision Aug. 26 at Washington where he gave up eight hits and three runs in five innings with one walk and a season-high tying eight strikeouts before the Rockies won 9-4 in 11 innings.De La Rosa has not lost in seven starts since July 20 and is 2-0 with a 3.40 ERA in that span. The Rockies are 3-4 in those games.Hes 10-8 with a 3.10 ERA in 28 games, 24 starts, against Arizona in his career. De La Rosa is 1-0 with a 5.06 ERA in two starts this season against the Diamondbacks. Cheap Jerseys . Takahashi, who had a 10-point lead after the short program, received 268.31 points after the free skate to finish 15 points ahead of second-place Nobunari Oda. 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Electrifying Brisbane swingman Torrey Craig put on an offensive clinic to steer the Bullets to a 105-87 NBL rout of the Adelaide 36ers on Saturday.Craig showcased his full bag of tricks to rack up 34 points and 11 rebounds in the emphatic victory at Titanium Security Arena and consign the struggling Sixers to their fourth successive defeat.The American shot at an impressive 78 per cent success rate and was ably assisted by former 36er Anthony Petrie (23 points) and guard Jermaine Beal (20).Jerome Randle (seven points at 22 per cent) was again off-colour as the Sixers were bereft of answers, aside from solid contributions from Nathan Sobey (24 points) and Daniel Johnson (20 points, 12 rebounds).The signs were ominous early when the Bullets, without former Chicago Bull and Rio Olympian Cam Bairstow (general soreness), drilled seven first-quarter three-pointers capped by former Adelaide captain Adam Gibsons desperate heave on the quarter-time buzzer which gave the visitors a 31-19 advantage.The margin blew out to 15 early in the second before Johnson, returning from a hamstring injury, turned the tide Adelaides way, slashing the Bullets lead to just two points.The home sides revival was short-lived, Brisbane closing the quarter with a 10-1 run to stretchh the buffer back out to double digits at halftime before pressing their foot on Adelaides throat with a withering 34-20 third term.ddddddddddddCraig was the star of the show, racking up 14 points at 100 per cent for the stanza as the Bullets sprinted to a 27-point lead, which proved more than enough.They cruised home in the final term ahead of this Thursdays rematch between the two sides at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.Bullets coach Andrej Lemanis praised Craigs stunning display, with the American shooting the lights out and rebounding ferociously, while shutting down Adelaides best player.Torrey Craigs job on Jerome Randle was outstanding, Lemanis saidTorrey is so amiable to do whats best for the team and he does it within the framework of the group.I thought we did a good job of being poised in those critical moments in the game.Were slowly getting there.36ers coach Joey Wright bemoaned his sides ill-timed errors and inability to put the clamps on Brisbanes sharpshooters.Like a few games this year, we had youthful mistakes at the wrong times, he said.Were not consistent with our defence. 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