Elias Díaz gets key hit as the Rockies rally for a wild 10-9 victory over the Padres
By JACK MAGRUDER
Associated Press
DENVER (AP) — Elias Díaz capped Colorado’s six-run eighth inning with a tiebreaking RBI double, and the Rockies beat the San Diego Padres 10-9 on Thursday.
Elehuris Montero and Hunter Goodman homered for Colorado, which earned a split of the four-game series. Brenton Doyle and Brendan Rodgers each had three of the Rockies’ 14 hits.
“Everybody put everything together, took a good (at-bat), and the results came,” Díaz said.
Rodgers started Colorado’s big rally with a one-out double. Sean Bouchard then walked before Goodman greeted Wandy Peralta (1-1) with a 448-foot drive to left-center for his first homer of the season.
The 24-year-old Goodman was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque on Wednesday.
“(Peralta) works mostly away, so I was looking for something up in the zone,” Goodman said. “He hung a changeup and I put a good swing on it.”
Jacob Stallings singled, Ezequiel Tovar walked and Brenton Doyle singled to produce another run for Colorado. After Tovar scored on a passed ball, Díaz lifted the Rockies to a 10-9 lead when he doubled into the left-field corner against Stephen Kolek.
Peralta faced five batters in the eighth and gave up three hits and a walk.
“The second a guy gives up a home run, I can’t just go take out a guy who has a microscopic ERA and has gotten righties out all year,” San Diego manager Mike Shildt said. “I’ve got a veteran guy out there who knows now to get a ground ball and is one pitch away from getting a ground ball. It didn’t work out.”
Tyler Kinley (1-0) got three outs for the win. Justin Lawrence pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save.
Ha-Seong Kim and Jurickson Profar homered for Padres, who had won three of four. Xander Bogaerts had two hits and drove in a run.
Kim hit a three-run drive in the third against Dakota Hudson, and Profar added a two-run shot in the seventh against Nick Mears. Eguy Rosario’s RBI single in the top of the eighth gave the Padres a 9-4 lead.
Hitting second in the order for the second time this season, Doyle scored three times and swiped two bases while raising his batting average to .330. Díaz finished with three RBIs as the Rockies improved to 5-8 at home and 7-19 overall.
“You never know a game is going to play out,” Colorado manager Bud Black said. “No doubt we are off to a tough start, so every win we get we feel good about. It gives us the direction. We know some numbers are going to turn around. We just have to hang in there.”
Colorado’s eight series without a series win to start the season is the longest such stretch to begin a season in franchise history.
The Padres had won seven of eight against the Rockies, who have trailed at some point in each of their first 26 games. The 1910 St. Louis Browns trailed in their first 28 games for the major league record.
SOUTH OF THE BORDER
Next up for Colorado is a two-game series against Houston this weekend at Mexico City’s Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium, which has an elevation of 7,349 feet. The games will be played at the highest altitude in major league history.
“It still comes down to baseball,” Black said. “Us against them.”
“Mexico loves baseball,” Black continued when asked about potential expansion. “I’m sure it is in deep conversations about where to go.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: CF Jackson Merrill (right groin tightness) was scratched.
Rockies: OF Nolan Jones (stiff back) missed his second straight game after leaving in the seventh inning Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Padres: RHP Joe Musgrove (3-2, 5.74 ERA) brings a two-game win streak into the opener of a three-game home series against Philadelphia. RHP Aaron Nola (3-1, 3.16 ERA) starts for the Philles on Friday night.
Rockies: RHP Cal Quantrill (0-2, 4.33 ERA) faces Astros RHP Ronel Blanco (2-0, 1.33 ERA) on Saturday.
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