The Rockies have several big question marks entering the second half of the season as they look to keep pace in a crowded National League wild-card race.

They can’t afford the defense to be one of them.

Unfortunately for the Rockies, as manager Bud Black points out, the glovework has been an issue. While Colorado’s defense had been Gold Glove-standard across the board under Black’s tenure, it has been less reliable this year. The Rockies rank fifth in the NL with a .985 fielding percentage, but that doesn’t reflect an array of nonerror miscues.

“We have to pitch better obviously, but defensively, we have to do a little better job, too,” Black said. “The last couple years, we’ve been a really, really good defensive team that’s very sound. But lately, there’s been some chinks in the armor here that we have to clean up.”

Of course, no one is looking to third baseman Nolan Arenado as the issue — he’s probably on his way to a seventh straight Gold Glove — or other reliable defenders like shortstop Trevor Story and catcher Tony Wolters.

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Rather, as Colorado takes on Arizona at Chase Field starting Friday night for the final series before the All-Star Game, the defensive spotlight is mostly on center fielder Ian Desmond and first baseman Daniel Murphy, both of whom are still adjusting to new roles in 2019. Colorado Rockies MLB scoreboard

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Desmond, 33, is the oldest starting center fielder in the league after having served as Colorado’s first baseman last year. Murphy, 34, is showing some resettling pains at first base after having played primarily at second base the last several seasons.

The highly paid center fielder Desmond owned up to his recent miscues. After his latest misplay on a ball that carried over his head Wednesday night — not an error, but a play that cost the Rockies two runs against the Houston Astros — he said “there’s room for improvement, to say the least.”

At the same time, Desmond remained measured amid the challenge of patrolling the wide swaths of Coors Field after not having played the position since 2016 in Texas. Desmond is a natural infielder who originally broke into the big leagues as a shortstop with the Washington Nationals.

“Like I said at the beginning (of the year) when I started this, I’ve got to be able to give myself a little bit of grace,” Desmond said. “Obviously, you never want to hurt the team, but this isn’t something that comes naturally to me. I don’t have a ton of instincts out there. I’m just trying to do my best, but at the same time I have to be better to help the team.

“I have to weigh those things equally. It’s frustrating, but at the same time, I’m just focused on making myself better.”

Desmond’s -0.6 outs above average — Baseball Savant’s range-based metric of fielding skill — is tied for second-worst among all NL outfielders, behind only the Chicago Cubs’ Kyle Schwarber. Per Baseball Reference, Desmond has a team-worst -1.4 defensive WAR.

He also ranks 88th out of 103 qualified major-leaguers in outfielder jump, which measures feet saved or lost on outfield plays due to reaction and route. To be fair, fellow outfielder Charlie Blackmon, who has also had his share of defensive miscues this season, ranks even lower at 91st. Raimel Tapia, too, has shown growing pains. Related Articles Rockies’ Daniel Bard finishing up improbable season on a high note

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Desmond acknowledged his instincts are a work in progress.

“I try to talk to guys and pick their brains, and (the reads) are something I work on in batting practice. But when (errors) happen, they happen,” Desmond said. “The one the other night against the Dodgers, that was just a drop. … This is a tough outfield to play, and by no means am I an expert center fielder or a Gold Glove center fielder. So I’m just looking for answers just like everybody else, and I’m going to keep on working.”

Meanwhile, Murphy leads the team with seven errors. Granted, the early-season avulsion fracture of his left index finger hasn’t exactly helped his reacclimation at first base. Murphy still can’t bend the finger and is wearing a splint on it, but the Rockies will need him to be better, too, as he continues to heat up offensively.

On Deck

Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (7-5, 4.83 ERA) at Diamondbacks RHP Zack Greinke (9-3, 2.90)

7:10 p.m. Friday, Chase Field

TV: ATTRM Radio: 850 AM

Senzatela has allowed two earned runs or fewer in three straight starts, although Eduardo Escobar and David Peralta have taken him deep before. The right-handed Senzatela allowed one earned run in six-plus innings in his previous start in Arizona this year and has pitched much better on the road, with a 3.92 ERA and 4-2 record in eight starts. Meanwhile, Greinke tossed seven shutout innings against the Giants in his last start and has posted a 4.26 ERA in three starts against the Rockies in 2019.

Trending: Fans came out in droves for the final homestand of the first half. Five of the six games against the Dodgers and Astros were sellouts, and Wednesday’s game against Houston marked the club’s eighth straight crowd of 46,000 fans or more. That’s Colorado’s longest such streak since 1998.

At issue: Outfielder Raimel Tapia has struggled to come through late in games for Colorado this season. Tapia is hitting .172 in seventh-inning at-bats and .185 in eighth-inning at-bats, and has drawn two walks in comparison to 22 total strikeouts across the two innings.

Upcoming pitching matchups

Saturday: Rockies RHP Jon Gray (9-5, 3.84 ERA) at Diamondbacks LHP Robbie Ray (5-6, 4.10), 8:10 p.m., FS1

Sunday: Rockies RHP German Marquez (8-3, 4.38) at Diamondbacks RHP Taylor Clarke (2-3, 6.21), 2:10 p.m., ATTRM