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Upton removed from series finale

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By Owen Perkins / Special to MLB.com

09/06/09 8:00 PM ET

DENVER -- D-backs right fielder Justin Upton was removed from Sunday's series finale with the Rockies in the middle of the third inning for not running out a deep drive to center field in the top of the inning.

Upton took starter Jorge De La Rosa to the wall in deep center, but he only got a single out of it, as Carlos Gonzalez fielded it cleanly off the wall and made a strong throw to second to hold Upton at first.

Upton thought he had a home run after making contact, walking out of the box as he watched the deep fly. He trotted down the line and did not run hard until he was around first base and had no time left to make it to second.

"I got that ball about as good as I can get it," Upton said. "The wind was blowing in, I should have known that, and I should have ran. It's one of those things that happens."

Arizona manager A.J. Hinch inserted Alex Romero in right field for the bottom of the third inning.

"The punishment fits the crime," Hinch said. "Part of what we do is our style of play, and the expectation of a high standard that we hold ourselves to, so what he did was intolerable. That's not malicious. It's a poor mental error that resulted in him not playing any more. It is what it is. It's too bad, because it hurts our team when he comes out of the lineup."

Upton had one of only two hits for Arizona at the time he was removed, and the D-backs ended up with six hits in a 13-5 loss as they were swept by the Rockies.

"He did the right thing," Upton said of Hinch deciding to bench him. "I should have been on second, at least. It's one of those things that happens, and you've got to learn from it."

Hinch had a talk with Upton and is ready to move on when the D-backs return to Phoenix to host the Dodgers on Monday.

"He'll play [on Monday]," Hinch said. "He understands the mistake. It's not a secret. It's a very poor mental lapse."

Owen Perkins is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.