Colorado Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland has started three games against the Arizona Diamondbacks this season.

None have gone well.

Freeland (3-10, 7.09 ERA) will get one more chance Tuesday night in Phoenix in the second game of a three-game series.

Freeland's struggles against the D-backs mirror his 2019 season after he went 17-7 with a 2.85 ERA last season, finishing fourth in the voting for the National League Cy Young Award.

Against Arizona, he has allowed:

-- eight runs in six innings on May 4

-- five runs in three innings on May 30

-- five runs in six innings Wednesday

Overall, Freeland is 0-1 with a 10.80 ERA and a 1.80 WHIP when facing Arizona this season.

His first two outings against the D-backs came before he was sent down to the minors. He's 1-4 with a 7.01 ERA since being recalled, but he and manager Bud Black said they saw improvement last Wednesday, when Arizona hit two home runs.

"With my mechanics and the way the ball is coming out of my hand, I'm getting some good movement on the ball, so I feel much, much better about everything," Freeland said, according to the Denver Post. "Obviously, giving up five runs is not acceptable, but I have to tip my cap to (Arizona)."

The Rockies lead the season series 9-8 but have done plenty of hat-tipping lately to the D-backs, who have won six of the past seven meetings after losing eight in a row earlier this season.

Arizona won 5-3 on Monday night, rallying after being no-hit for five innings. Carson Kelly broke up that bid with a sharp single to lead off the sixth before Ketel Marte hit a two-run blast for a 2-1 lead. Kelly then belted a solo shot to lead off the eighth for a 3-2 edge.

The Diamondbacks moved back to .500 at 63-63 and are four games behind the second wild-card spot in the National League.

"We've been this way all year. We never give up," Kelly said. "Sometimes we get down early, we just continue to fight, continue to battle. We're never out of it, and that is something you want in a team. It's what we've got here."

At some point, though, the D-backs will have to get on a run to make the postseason. They have not been more than two games above or below .500 since losing on June 18.

"There were so many things that happened inside the game today that keeps me thinking this team is ready to do something special," manager Torey Lovullo said.

Arizona will send out rookie Alex Young (4-3, 3.98) for a lefty-lefty matchup Tuesday night. Unlike Freeland, he has happy memories of the Arizona-Colorado series this season, having thrown six hitless innings at home against the Rockies on July 7. He was on a pitch count in his second career start and was pulled from the game after 71 pitches.

Young has struggled in his past two starts, losing both and giving up a total of nine earned runs in 8 1/3 innings.

Marte returned to the lineup Monday night after missing two games because of lower back tightness.

--Field Level Media