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 For the first time in more than nine years, the San Diego Padres had
a game rained out at Petco Park on Sunday.
The finale of the three-game series with Colorado was postponed with
the Rockies holding a 1-0 lead with two outs in the top of the
fifth. The game will be replayed in its entirety Sept. 10 at the end
of the Rockies' last visit to Petco Park.
"The umpires felt like the forecast for more rain combined with the
field conditions made it impossible to continue," San Diego manager
Pat Murphy said.
Left fielder Justin Upton left the game after lining out in the
fourth inning. Originally, the Padres said Upton was removed as a
precaution given the forecast for pending rain and the fact he was
experiencing lower back pain.
Afterward, however, Murphy said the cleanup hitter sustained a
re-injury to the left oblique muscle that bothered him -- and forced
him to miss two starts -- in the week leading up to the All-Star
break. Upton was the Padres' representative in the All-Star Game and
singled in his only plate appearance.
"It stems from the earlier injury, but it's been getting worse,"
Murphy said of Upton's oblique. "It really tightened up. He's
day-to-day right now, but it's too soon to tell. Justin realizes
this could jeopardize his season."
Umpire crew chief Joe West, Murphy, Rockies manager Walt Weiss and
members of the Padres ground crew huddled along the third base line
as the teams were preparing to resume play after a 2 1/2-hour delay.
The decision was made to erase the contest four outs before it
became an official game.
"We've been making it rain all year," said Weiss, whose team has
been rained out or delayed by rain 17 times this season, "but this
is strange. I don't think I've ever seen rain in San Diego."
San Diego was hit by two days of heavy rain from the remnants of
Western Pacific Hurricane Dolores. On Saturday morning, downtown San
Diego had 1.03 inches of rain -- representing the most rain to fall
in the entire month of July since 1865. However, the Padres and
Rockies were able to play Saturday night, with the Padres winning
5-4.
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On Sunday, another four-tenths of an inch of rain fell in between 2
and 4 p.m. PDT -- around when the rain first stopped. After that,
there was standing water on the warning track in right -- and the
forecast correctly called for more rain in the evening.
The game was officially called at 4:56 p.m. -- just ahead of the
resumption of showers.
The game was only the second rainout in the 11 1/2-season history of
Petco Park and the 17th rainout in the 46 1/2-season of National
League baseball in San Diego. The Padres had had five other games
delayed by rain -- and another delayed by swarming bees -- since
Petco Park opened in 2004. There was one delay earlier this season.
NOTES: The Rockies recalled RHP Eddie Butler from Triple-A
Albuquerque to start Sunday's game against the Padres. Butler,
Colorado's first-round pick in the 2012 draft was 2-2 with a 6.27
ERA at Albuquerque. ... To make room for Butler, the Rockies placed
RHP Chad Bettis on the 15-day disabled list because of elbow
inflammation. ... Will Middlebrooks, who made his fourth start in
five games at shortstop Sunday, committed two errors in the first
three innings.
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