The San Diego Padres pummeled the Colorado Rockies Thursday night at Petco Park, 9-3 in the first game of a three-game set between the two teams.
Ahead are takeaways from the loss.
Sloppy sixth dooms Gray, Rockies
Rockies’ starting pitcher Jon Gray did not have his best stuff on the mound versus the Padres; however, he managed the keep the game close until the sixth inning rolled around.
Gray recorded the first out of the inning with relative ease before surrendering a single to Francisco Mejia. Gray then set down Hunter Renfroe for the second out of the inning.
With one runner on and two outs, Gray tossed a wild pitch that allowed Mejia to advance a bag. Gray then walked Josh Naylor to provide the Padres with a pair of base runners.
Gray was able to buckle down and get Luis Urias to hit a routine groundball to shortstop Trevor Story. The shortstop fielded the ball cleanly but botched the throw to first base, allowing a run to score and prolonging the inning.
Gray then hurled a second wild pitch that allowed a Padres’ base runner to cross the plate. Following the walk, Gray walked another batter which forced the hand of Rockies’ skipper Bud Black.
Gray was pulled from the game in favor of Jairo Diaz.
Padres’ phenom Fernando Tatis Jr. then hit a groundball back the mound that Diaz proceeded to overthrow to Daniel Murphy at first base.
Wil Myers followed by slashing a double to the gap in right-center field, scoring an additional two-run for the Padres.
Diaz managed to get out of the inning, but the damage had already been done with the Padres leading 8-3.
Gray finished his outing with a line of 5.2 innings pitched, allowing seven runs (three earned) on six hits while punching out four.
Story reaches another milestone
After playing in his 500th career game Wednesday in Houston, Rockies’ shortstop Trevor Story reached another milestone in San Diego.
After hitting a single in the fifth inning, Story swiped second base for his 15th stolen base of the season.
Story became the first shortstop in club history to record 15-or-more stolen bases in a season twice. Story first accomplished the feat in 2018 when he finished with 27 stolen bases.
Story extended his current hitting streak to seven games by collecting the single and ripping an RBI double in the top of the third inning.
Story has been sensational this season for the Rockies as he ranks within the top-10 in runs, extra-base hits and steals in the National League.
Blackmon says hot on the road
Rockies’ outfielder Charlie Blackmon has been stellar throughout the 2019 season after a bit of a down year in 2018.
Blackmon is batting .391 (25-for-64) in his past 16 games and has been an excellent table-setter atop the Rockies’ lineup.
Blackmon helped the Rockies keep the game competitive in the early stages by cranking a game-tying home run in the fifth inning.
By the beard of Zeus! pic.twitter.com/uXhIIi0b0m
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) August 9, 2019
Blackmon has been especially good on the road as of late, hitting .370 (17-for-46) in 11 games on the road since July 20. Additionally, Blackmon has hit safely in 10 of his last 12 games away from Coors Field.
Daza logs first multi-hit game
Rockies’ outfielder Yonathan Daza recorded his first multi-hit game at the big league level versus the Padres.
Daza, hitting seventh and playing center field, collected his first hit of the game in the fourth inning where he lined a single to center field. Daza collected an infield single in the sixth for his second hit of the evening.
Daza has bounced around between the Major Leagues and minor leagues throughout 2019, but with David Dahl sidelined for the foreseeable future, Daza is expected to see an increase in playing time.
Daza has been stellar at the plate in Triple-A, hitting .364 with 48 RBIs and 11 home runs in 89 games played for the Isotopes.