DENVER (Interstat) — Merrill Kelly threw a complete game, striking out three and allowing just four hits, and the Arizona Diamondbacks erupted for six runs in the first inning Friday night, cruising to a 9-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.

The Diamondbacks sent 11 batters to the plate in the first inning, collecting five hits and chasing Rockies starter Kyle Freeland before he could record the third out. Corbin Carroll singled, Nolan Arenado walked, and Ildemaro Vargas lined a single to center that scored Carroll for a 1-0 lead. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. walked, and Gabriel Moreno cleared the bases with a single to center that brought home Arenado and Vargas, making it 3-0. Jose Fernandez doubled to right, scoring Gurriel, and Ryan Waldschmidt singled to right, scoring Moreno and Fernandez to push the lead to 6-0. Ketel Marte struck out swinging to end the inning, but the damage was done.

Colorado answered in the bottom of the first when Hunter Goodman launched a solo home run to left field, his 11th of the season, cutting the deficit to 6-1. Goodman finished 1 for 4 with the homer and an RBI. But the Rockies managed only three more hits the rest of the night, all singles or doubles, and never mounted a serious threat against Kelly.

Arizona added a run in the fourth inning. Carroll singled sharply to right, advanced to third on a bunt single by Geraldo Perdomo that also drew a throwing error from Rockies third baseman Kyle Karros, and scored on Vargas’ single to shortstop. That made it 7-1. The Diamondbacks tacked on two more in the seventh. Arenado led off with a double to left, Vargas singled to put runners at the corners, and Gurriel lifted a sacrifice fly to center that scored Arenado. Moreno followed with a double to center that plated Vargas, capping the scoring at 9-1.

Kelly, now 3-3 on the season, worked efficiently, throwing 7 strikes and 51 balls in an outing that featured 7 balls in play. He allowed one earned run, walked none, and struck out three. It was a bounce-back performance for the right-hander, who had allowed six earned runs on eight hits in just four-and-one-third innings in a loss to the Chicago Cubs on May 3. In his previous start, a win over the New York Mets on May 9, Kelly went seven innings and allowed one earned run on three hits while striking out six.

Freeland, now 1-5, took the loss after recording just one out in the first inning. He allowed six runs on five hits and two walks before being replaced by Zach Agnos. Agnos worked four-and-one-third innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits with one strikeout. Seth Halvorsen tossed a scoreless inning, allowing one hit and striking out one.

Offensively, Arizona’s Ildemaro Vargas went 4 for 5 with two RBIs, raising his average and providing consistent production from the leadoff spot. Gabriel Moreno drove in three runs, going 2 for 5 with a double. Waldschmidt collected two RBIs on his first-inning single, finishing 1 for 4. Fernandez drove in one run with his double and finished 1 for 5. Arenado walked three times and doubled, going 1 for 1 in official at-bats.

For Colorado, Mickey Moniak went 1 for 4 with a double in the ninth inning, but the Rockies could not bring him home. Kyle Karros had the only other hit for the Rockies, a single in the third inning. Ezequiel Tovar doubled in the fifth but was left stranded.

The game ended with the Diamondbacks retiring the Rockies in order in the ninth except for Moniak’s double. Kelly induced a groundout from Goodman, then struck out TJ Rumfield swinging to seal the victory. Attendance was listed at 27,557, and the game lasted 2 hours, 32 minutes.

Arizona improved to 21-22 with the win, while Colorado fell to 17-28. The Diamondbacks had lost two in a row at Texas before the series opener in Denver, winning just one of three against the Rangers. The Rockies had split a four-game series in Pittsburgh, losing the finale Thursday.

The two teams meet again Saturday in the second game of the series, with the Diamondbacks scheduled to send a pitcher to the mound and the Rockies countering with their own starter. Arizona then returns home for a three-game series against the San Francisco Giants starting Monday. Colorado hosts the Texas Rangers on Monday for a three-game set after the weekend games.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Arizona 4-3, and Interstat’s ELO system gave Arizona a 65.50 percent probability to win. The Diamondbacks entered as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total score of 10 went under the over/under line of 11.5.