The Colorado Rockies were able to salvage and split their series with the San Diego Padres by squeaking out victories in the third and fourth games of the series. It was starting to look ugly for the Rockies after they dropped the first two games of the series and fell to the .500 mark for the first time this season, but Walt Weiss’ ball club bounced back with consecutive down-to-the-wire wins on Wednesday and Thursday at Coors Field.
Corey Dickerson and Nolan Arenado were the keys to victory for the Rockies. The duo was banged up in the first two games of the series, but came back to lead the Rockies to victory in the last two games.
Dickerson went 4-for-6 with three homeruns, four runs, and three RBIs in the Rockies’ two wins after returning to the lineup from aggravating mild plantar fasciitis in his left foot in the first game of the series. He leads the Rockies with five homeruns and 13 RBIs on the season.
Arenado missed the first two games of the series with left wrist soreness. When he returned to the lineup on Wednesday, the two-time gold glove winner’s defense was on full display as he made three spectacular plays at the hot corner. The 24-year-old also went 4-for-8 at the plate with one double and one RBI against San Diego.
Nick Hundley – who spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Padres – went 6-for-10 with two RBIs, a homerun, and a triple against his former team.
After the Rockies were blown out in the first game of the series, the next three contests were all decided by one run.
Game 1, April 20 – San Diego Padres 14 – Colorado Rockies 3
Jorge De La Rosa’s (0-1) much anticipated season debut couldn’t have gone much worse. The veteran lefty lasted just two innings – allowing nine runs (seven earned) on nine hits. The Padres batted around and notched five runs on De La Rosa in the first inning alone. He was up in the zone early and gave up hits to the first four batters of the game – including two doubles. The veteran pitcher threw just 53 pitches before Rockies manager Walt Weiss pulled the plug. De La Rosa missed the beginning of the season with a left groin strain.
The Padres ripped the Rockies pitching staff for 17 hits with every one of their starters registering at least one hit.
Matt Kemp went 3-for-4 with four RBIs and a double. Will Venable hit a two-run jack off of LaTroy Hawkins in the fifth inning.
Odrisamer Despaigne (2-0) was impressive in his first career start at Coors Field. He allowed two earned runs on six hits while striking out five in six and two-thirds innings. Despainge, 28, also picked up his first career hit and RBI in the win. He was moved to the Padres’ bullpen following the game.
Arenado was a late scratch and Dickerson left the game in the third inning after he came out of the batters’ box limping.
Drew Stubbs, who filled in for Dickerson, is 0-for-17 with 10 strikeouts on the season.
Game 2, April 21 – San Diego Padres 7 – Colorado Rockies 6
The Rockies had a commanding 5-2 lead late in the game, but a four-run eighth inning rally by the Padres changed the course of the game. Wil Myers picked up three hits and two RBIs for the Padres.
Hundley and former Rockies second baseman Clint Barmes both got some revenge by hitting homeruns against their former clubs.
Tyler Matzek left his club in position to win. The 24-year-old lefty allowed was lucky to allow just two earned runs in five innings. He also allowed four hits, registered a career-high six walks, and hit a batter.
The Padres rallied against Boone Logan in the eighth. Logan hit the first batter he faced, Yonder Alonso, before surrendering three earned runs on three hits. Of the two batters Logan got out, one was a sacrifice bunt.
Padres starter Brandon Morrow allowed five earned runs in six innings of work. Craig Kimbrel picked up his fifth save of the season after yielding a ninth inning homer to Hundley.
Game 3, April 22 – San Diego Padres 4 – Colorado Rockies 5
With Dickerson and Arenado back in the lineup, the Rockies showed that they can come from behind to win in dramatic fashion late in games as well. Pinch hitter Daniel Descalso hit a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning to send the Coors Field fans home happy for the first time in the series.
The win ended a five-game losing streak for the Rockies.
Dickerson hit two homers in three plate appearances in the game. His solo shot in the eighth tied the game and set the stage for Descalso’s walk off in the ninth inning. Catcher Michael McKenry chipped in three hits.
The Rockies activated relief pitcher John Axford from the Restricted List in advance of the contest. The righty missed the beginning of the season attending to his 2-year-old son, who was bit by a rattlesnake in Arizona during spring training. He pitched a scoreless eighth inning in his Rockies debut on Wednesday – throwing eight strikes on 10 pitches and punching out one batter.
Kyle Kendrick allowed four earned runs on seven hits in seven innings. His day would have looked a lot nicer had he not allowed three hits and two runs in the seventh inning.
Game 4, April 23 – San Diego Padres 1 – Colorado Rockies 2
Thanks to an impressive Rockies pitching performance, Dickerson’s solo shot in the fifth inning proved to be the difference maker on Thursday night.
Jordan Lyles (2-1) allowed one run on six hits with four strikeouts in six and two-thirds innings. The Rockies’ bullpen maintained the one-run lead in relief with Axford picking up the save.
Alonso went 3-for-3 with an RBI single in the fourth inning for San Diego.
The Rockies got on the board in the first inning when Tyson Ross (1-1) walked Descalso with the bases loaded, scoring Dickerson.
Ross allowed two earned runs on six hits in five innings.
Nathan is a staff writer for Mile High Sports. He can be reached on Twitter at @TheRealNatron.