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 That move has paid off this year and never more so than Sunday when
Rusin threw his first career complete game. The Rockies beat the San
Diego Padres 5-0 to break a six-game losing streak overall and a
seven-game losing streak to the Padres.
Rusin (4-5), whose previous career-high was seven innings on three
occasions, was masterful. He gave up five singles with one walk and
four strikeouts. He retired the final 10 batters he faced, got 13
outs on ground balls and threw 106 pitches, 71 strikes.
"He can bury the ball in," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "He's
got the two-seamer that guys roll over. He knows how to pitch off
the barrel, and he keeps his cool at all times. He's put us in a
position to win virtually every time out."
Rusin, who made his Rockies debut May 26, has pitched at least six
innings in nine of 14 starts this season for the Rockies. This was
just the third time in 116 games this season that a Rockies starter
was on the mound as late as the eighth inning. The Rockies last
shutout win at Coors Field was 6-0 against the Padres on Sept. 7,
2014. On Sept. 5, 2014, Tyler Matzek threw the last complete game
shutout by a Rockies pitcher at Coors Field, a three-hitter in a 3-0
win against the Padres.
Right fielder Carlos Gonzalez homered for the Rockies in the fourth,
and catcher Michael McKenry, who was behind the plate for Matzek's
shutout, hit a three-run double in the seventh as the Rockies
capitalized on an error by first baseman Derek Norris, who dropped a
pop up and the Rockies capitalized.
In the sixth, Rusin was called for a balk with the bases loaded, but
that call was reversed and Rusin escaped.
After Padres starter Ian Kennedy retired the first 11 batters he
faced, six on strikeouts, Gonzalez drove a 1-0 fastball over the
wall in center field to give the Rockies a 1-0 lead. Gonzalez had
one hit in his previous 21 at-bats before clubbing his 27th home
run.
"I felt like I missed his first pitch of the game (to me)," Gonzalez
said. "I hit a fly ball to center field. He's a guy who is
aggressive with his fastball. On the second at-bat, he got a 1-0
count and he tried to paint one on the outside corner and I was able
to hit it to center field. It was a good pitch, but at the same
time, it was a good pitch for me to hit."
Kennedy (7-11) allowed four hits and four runs, one earned, in 6 2/3
innings with one intentional walk and a season-high tying eight
strikeouts. In nine starts at Coors Field, Kennedy is 2-3 with a
3.02 ERA.
"Today we lost," Kennedy said, "but I gave our team a chance. Just
frustrated I couldn't pick up Derek Norris in the seventh."
After Kennedy retired the first two batters in the seventh, Norris
-- the Padres' regular catcher making his seventh career start at
first -- dropped third baseman Nolan Arenado's pop up. First baseman
Ben Paulsen doubled off the wall in left, and after an intentional
walk to second baseman DJ LeMahieu loaded the bases, McKenry cleared
them by rifling a first-pitch fastball into the gap in right-center
for a double to make it 4-0.
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Rusin didn't allow a runner to reach second base until Norris and
right fielder Matt Kemp hit back-to-back singles with two outs in
the sixth. Rusin walked left fielder Justin Upton on four pitches to
load the bases and then was called for a first-pitch balk by second
base umpire Lance Barrett.
That call was overturned by the umpires, prompting an argument from
interim manager Pat Murphy, who was ejected by third base umpire Dan
Iassogna. Rusin then left the bases loaded by getting second baseman
Jedd Gyorko to ground out.
Rusin recently began occasionally using what Weiss calls a
"roll-through windup," which has created timing issues for hitters
and been effective.
"(Barrett) just assumed it was a balk, because he looked weird,"
Weiss said. "But the fact that he's going from his windup, he can do
anything he wants. He's going from a windup with the bases loaded so
he doesn't have to come to a complete stop. I think that's where the
confusion was."
Rusin said the reversed balk call "fired me up just a little bit" to
face Gyroko with the bases loaded.
"After that," Rusin said, "I was just really locked in, hitting all
my spots."
NOTES: Rockies RHP David Hale (left groin strain) is scheduled to
come off the disabled list Tuesday and start against the Nationals,
taking the rotation spot of RHP Eddie Butler, who was optioned to
Triple-A Albuquerque on Friday. ... Padres 3B Cory Spangenberg made
his first start since coming off the disabled list Friday after
missing 38 games with a left knee contusion. ... Padres C Derek
Norris threw out a career-high three runners trying to steal
Saturday night, the most by a Padres catcher since Rene Rivera also
threw out three runners at Colorado on May 18, 2014. Norris' 31
caught stealing are the most by a Padres catcher since Ben Davis had
34 in 2001. ... Padres 1B Yonder Alonso checked out fine Sunday. He
was hit in the right temple by Justin Upton's helmet Saturday night
when it bounced off the dugout floor after Upton threw his helmet in
disgust.
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