DENVER — Nolan Arenado hit a two-run triple off Zack Greinke in the eighth inning, and the surging Colorado Rockies rallied past the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-3 on Tuesday night in the opening game of their NL West showdown.

Carlos Gonzalez homered and saved a run with a diving catch of David Peralta’s line drive in the fifth to help Colorado win its sixth straight. The NL West leaders extended their advantage over third-place Arizona to two games. Second-place Los Angeles, which began the night trailing the Rockies by a half-game, played late against the New York Mets.

Peralta and Paul Goldschmidt homered for the Diamondbacks, who had won seven straight.

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Arizona and Colorado, perhaps baseball’s two biggest surprises this season, both entered on a roll. The Diamondbacks are a major league-best 23-9 since May 15, while the Rockies’ 23-11 mark since then ranks third.

Those two teams, along with the Dodgers, have the top three records in the National League.

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The series opener Tuesday was the biggest game between the clubs since the 2007 NL Championship Series that Colorado won in a sweep. The Diamondbacks took a 3-2 lead on the solo homers by Peralta and Goldschmidt, but the Rockies rallied in the eighth against Arizona’s ace.

Charlie Blackmon and DJ LeMahieu singled off Greinke (8-4) with one out. Arenado, who on Sunday completed the cycle with a game-ending, three-run homer, tripled off the scoreboard in right.

Adam Ottavino (1-1) got the win despite allowing Goldschmidt’s 17th homer. Greg Holland pitched the ninth for his 25th save in 26 chances.

The Rockies took a 2-0 lead with a run in the second on a throwing error and a home run by Gonzalez in the fourth. It was his fifth career homer off Greinke.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Diamondbacks: OF A.J. Pollock (groin strain) experienced quad tightness during a game for Triple-A Reno on Monday. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said Pollock would take it easy and will be evaluated after going through “normal pregame activity” on Thursday.

Rockies: LHP Tyler Anderson (left knee inflammation) could be activated from the 10-day disabled list after a successful rehab start Sunday. Anderson, who last pitched for the Rockies on May 30, went five innings and allowed one run for Triple-A Albuquerque on Sunday. … RHP Jon Gray (stress fracture, left foot) will probably need at least one more rehab start. Gray went 4 1/3 innings for Albuquerque on Monday.

UP NEXT

Diamondbacks: RHP Taijuan Walker (5-3, 3.32 ERA) is 2-0 with a 0.82 ERA in his last two starts. He lost his only start against the Rockies this season.

Rockies: RHP Jeff Hoffman (4-0, 2.25 ERA) will make his second career start against the Diamondbacks.

He allowed four earned runs in 4 2/3 innings at Arizona on Sept. 14, 2016.