Monday, September 08, 2014
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Williams' first homer helps Rockies win

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[September 08, 2014]  DENVER -- Jackson Williams made a long, slow climb to the big leagues, finally getting there this season with the Colorado Rockies.

In his fourth career start Sunday, the 28-year-old rookie catcher hit his first career home run, a three-run shot that gave him his first RBI in the big leagues and helped the Rockies beat the San Diego Padres 6-0 to sweep their three-game series.

Williams called the home run, "Something I'll remember for the rest of my life." But it was by no means his most satisfying part of the game.

"If I had to give back my three-run homer for catching a shutout, I'd do it every day of the week," Williams said. "I take more pride in what I do behind the plate than what I do at the plate."

The shutout was the Rockies' second in three games against the Padres and gave the Rockies a four-game winning streak for the first time since their season-high five-game winning streak June 11-15. They finished a 5-1 homestand that gave them 11 wins in their past 15 games at Coors Field, where they are 39-35 this season.

Franklin Morales (6-7) worked six innings for the Rockies, who broke the game open when third baseman Nolan Arenado hit a two-run homer in the seventh and right fielder Charlie Blackmon tripled home a run in the eighth.



Williams, who spent his first seven professional seasons in the San Francisco organization before signing a minor league contract with Colorado in November, played in his fifth career game and hit his three-run homer with one out in the second. He connected on a 2-1 slider from Tyson Ross, who had yielded just 12 homers in 187 innings prior to this start.

"I kind of noticed early on when he was throwing that fastball it was more in off the plate for show, and then he was getting guys out away with that slider," Williams said. "I was just trying to stay through the middle of the field, and he hung the slider right there over the middle of the plate. After I saw it go over (the left-field wall), I was floating around the bases. It was awesome."

The Rockies brought Williams to the big leagues for three games in June when catcher Michael McKenry went on a three-day bereavement leave. Williams didn't play in any of those three games McKenry missed and returned to the minors, where he had 2,345 plate appearances in 663 games, about half of them at the Triple-A level.

Ross gave up a leadoff single to left fielder Corey Dickerson in the second. After right fielder Ben Paulsen grounded into a force play, second baseman DJ LeMahieu singled ahead of Williams and his memorable swing.

"I threw it right down the middle and he put a good swing on it," Ross said. "It was a pitch to get back in the count -- 50-50 odds he hits it at somebody or mis-hits it. But he timed it up perfect."

Ross (13-13) had thrown 14 consecutive quality starts, setting a Padres record that came to an end when he worked 5 2/3 innings. He threw 116 pitches, four shy of his season high, but allowed just two more hits after Williams' homer.

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"Stats at the end of the day don't matter to me," Ross said, referring to his record run of quality starts. "It's just all about doing my job on the days I get to go out there and pitch and giving us a shot (to win)."

The loss was the fifth straight for the Padres, who have scored three or fewer runs in four of those defeats and 10 of their past 11.

"Our bats have sort of gone silent for the most part over the last week," Padres manager Bud Black said. "We've got to turn that around. Same group that was scoring some runs after the break, we're in a little bit of a downturn right now. We've got to get that headed in the right direction offensively with some of the guys who are here in September."

NOTES: Rockies C Wilin Rosario (left wrist inflammation) was eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list Sunday and was activated. He pinch hit in the eighth and doubled to right-center. ... Rockies RF Michael Cuddyer (left hamstring strain) will be activated Monday when he is eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list. ... Colorado's Ben Paulsen made his second career start in right field. His other seven career starts have been at first base. Paulsen was lifted for a pinch runner in the sixth after Padres RHP Tyson Ross hit him on the right elbow with a pitch. ... Colorado's Rafael Ynoa made his third career start and first at shortstop after starting once at second base and once at third base. ... Padres LF Abraham Almonte was sore after falling in the third inning Saturday and twisting his left ankle. He was possibly available to pinch hit but didn't play. ... Padres manager Bud Black said it was too early to tell whether RHP Joe Wieland would get another start after giving up seven hits and four runs Saturday in 2 1/3 innings in his first major league appearance since he underwent Tommy John surgery July 27, 2012.

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