Dan Haren Takes Over for Diamondbacks' Bullpen in Game-Blowing Department as Rockies Finish Sweep

The Arizona Diamondbacks typically rely on the bullpen when it comes to blowing winnable games but, this afternoon, the D-Backs starter took the honor of letting a close game slip completely out of reach in an 8-2 loss to the Colorado Rockies. 

Dan Haren, the D-Backs' ace and today's starter, actually made the bullpen look good.

Today was the end of a three-game series with the Rockies, and you can get your brooms out because the Snakes got swept.

Haren went 6 1/3 innings in today's loss and is on the hook for all eight of the Rockies' runs.

Haren may or may not be assisting in a Colorado Rockies highlight reel, also.

In the seventh inning, Haren gave up back-to-back-to-back home runs (that's three in a row for those keeping score) to Seth Smith, Carlos Gonzalez, and Ryan Spilborghs, and we're not just talkin' homers, we're talkin' jacks.

Granted, the air is thinner at Coors Field, so the ball tends to go farther, but these home runs looked like they might still be in the air somewhere over Denver. Check out some video here.

Haren now leads the majors in the homers-allowed category with 16, eight of which came in his last two starts

Before Haren's seventh-inning meltdown, the game was somewhat in reach for the last-place D-Backs, who were only down 4-2 going into the inning.

Stephen Drew had two hits and a run for the D-Backs, while Chris Young and Chris Snyder each had RBIs.

In total, the Diamondbacks had seven hits in the loss, but their only runs came in the sixth inning.

The shocker from today's game, though, was the bullpen.

The D-Backs' pen was flawless in 1 2/3 innings as Carlos Rosa -- in relief of Haren in the seventh -- and Saul Rivera, recently acquired from the Cleveland Indians, kept all five batters they faced from reaching base.

The D-Backs' road trip continues tomorrow as the Snakes head to San Francisco to take on the Giants.