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 "We talked about that ending in our pregame meeting."
He was smiling.
Both the Padres' tying and winning runs scored on the same play — a
bases-loaded wild pitch followed by a throwing error by Colorado
catcher Wilin Rosario — as the Padres edged the Rockies 5-4 in the
opener of a four-game series at Petco Park.
The Padres loaded the bases in the eighth on three walks delivered
by Rockies reliever Rex Brothers (1-2). The left-hander's 2-1 pitch
to Yasmani Grandal sailed past Rosario and rolled to the wall behind
the plate, and Xavier Nady scored from third on the wild pitch.
When Rosario's throw to Brothers covering the plate went over the
pitcher's head, Seth Smith raced home from second to give the Padres
their fourth win in the past five games.
"This loss is all on me," Brothers said of his second consecutive
blown save. "The best thing for me is to get back out there as soon
as I can."
The Padres entered the bottom of the eighth trailing 4-3.
Nady, a pinch hitter, drew a walk from Brothers to lead off the
inning.
After left fielder Smith almost popped out trying to get down a
sacrifice bunt, he also drew a walk. Brothers retired second baseman
Jedd Gyorko and third baseman Chase Headley on back-to-back flies to
center before walking first baseman Yonder Alonso to fill the bases.
With the switch-hitting Grandal hitting from the right side,
Brothers tried to go low and outside on his fourth pitch, and he
bounced the ball past Rosario.
As Nady raced home with the tying run, Smith rounded third and never
stopped running when he saw Brothers miss Rosario's throw to the
plate.
"When it got by the pitcher, I just figured no one could be there to
back it up," Smith said. "I had a big lead off second, and I only
slowed a little after reaching third. In that situation, I'm going
as hard as I can and looking for any opportunity."
"You never know how a game is going to play out," said Black of the
first Padres game since July 15, 1999, in which they scored the
tying and winning runs in an inning that did not include a hit.
San Diego reliever Dale Thayer (2-0) threw a scoreless eighth inning
to get the victory. Closer Huston Street worked a perfect ninth to
pick up his fourth save.
The Rockies built a 4-0 lead against Padres left-hander Eric Stults
through five innings — the first run scoring on Stults' throwing
error and the last two on Rosario's eighth career homer against the
Padres.
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Red-hot Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon singled and advanced
on two errors to score Colorado's first run in the third. Blackmon
moved to second when Padres shortstop Everth Cabrera made a wild
throw back to first after making a sensational leaping catch of left
fielder Carlos Gonzalez's line drive. Rockies shortstop Troy
Tulowitzki topped an infield single toward third, Blackmon scoring
when Stults slipped while throwing, with the ball skipping past
first.
Three consecutive singles by first baseman Justin Morneau, third
baseman Nolan Arenado and second baseman DJ LeMahieu made it 2-0 in
the fourth, and Rosario's 375-foot drive into the left field seats
followed Tulowitzki's leadoff single in the fifth.
It was the third homer allowed by Stults in as many starts. He
allowed four runs (three earned) on nine hits and two walks in five
innings Monday.
The Padres scored three times with two outs in the bottom of the
fifth to pull to within a run. A single by Alonso, run-scoring
doubles by pinch hitter Tommy Medica and Cabrera and a triple to
right by Alexi Amarista accounted for the runs.
Rockies right fielder Michael Cuddyer left the game with an apparent
elbow injury after crashing into the right field fence trying to
catch Amarista's drive.
Colorado starter Jordan Lyles allowed three runs in five innings.
NOTES: Rockies LHP Brett Anderson (0-2, 3.60 ERA) will miss four to
six weeks with a broken index finger on his pitching hand. Anderson
suffered the injury Saturday night while hitting, and he was placed
on the 15-day disabled list Monday ... OF Corey Dickerson was
recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs to take Anderson's spot on
the 25-man roster. LHP Franklin Morales will take Anderson's spot in
the rotation. ... Padres LF Carlos Quentin took live batting
practice on the field for the first time this season, but he has yet
to run. Manager Bud Black said Quentin would need a rehab assignment
before rejoining the Padres. ... San Diego RHP Casey Kelly (Tommy
John surgery in April 2013) will throw a simulated game in Arizona
on Tuesday.
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