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 "We haven't played as well at home as we wanted to," Weiss said. "So
it's important that we finish strong here."
The Rockies are now 32-40 at Coors Field, where the Pirates and
Dodgers will visit after the Padres and where the Rockies' worst
single-season records are 35-46 in 2012 and 38-43 in 2004 and 2011.
Rockies starter Chad Bettis (8-5) held the Padres to four hits and
one run in five innings with one walk and six strikeouts. But he
threw 94 pitches and didn't take the mound for the sixth.
"His pitch count got a little elevated," Weiss said. "He had to work
out of some jams, so a few of those innings were pretty stressful
for him. That's why I opted to go to the bullpen."
Shortstop Jose Reyes singled home two runs in a three-run seventh,
boosting the Rockies' lead to 6-2 after the Padres had trimmed it to
4-2 in the top of the inning on first baseman Wil Myers' home run.
It was Myers' eighth homer of the season, and it came off Justin
Miller, who had not yielded a home run in 26 previous appearances
totaling 26 1/3 innings.
The Rockies caught a break in the seventh when reliever Mark
Rzepczynski fielded pinch hitter Daniel Descalso's sacrifice bunt
and threw the ball into center field. Rzepczynski then walked center
fielder Charlie Blackmon to load the bases for Reyes.
After Carlos Gonzalez grounded into a double play, third baseman
Nolan Arenado flared a run-scoring single into short right-center.
It was his third single of the game and gave the National League
leader 112 RBIs.
San Diego second baseman Cory Spangenberg singled home a run in the
eighth with one out and runners on first and second, and a second
run scored on the play when Blackmon's throw skipped past third
base. Pitcher Jairo Diaz was backing up home plate.
Rzepczynski's errant throw was San Diego's second defensive mistake.
Spangenberg dropped a relay throw in the third that enabled Arenado
to score on first baseman Justin Morneau's double to give the
Rockies a 4-1 lead.
Padres starter Ian Kennedy (8-15), who is tied for the major league
lead in losses, allowed four runs, three earned, in six innings. His
record on the road fell to 2-10.
Bettis missed five weeks with right-elbow inflammation. But in five
starts since being reinstated from the disabled list Aug. 25, he's
3-1 with a 3.29 ERA and seven walks and 21 strikeouts in 27 1/3
innings.
Bettis left the bases loaded in the second by striking out Kennedy.
With a 3-0 lead in the third, Bettis gave up an infield single to
Myers to start the inning, followed by third baseman Yangervis
Solarte's ground-rule double.
But Bettis struck out right fielder Matt Kemp, retired left fielder
Justin Upton on a run-scoring grounder and got shortstop Jedd Gyorko
to ground out.
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With runners on second and third in the fourth, Bettis ended that
threat by getting Myers to fly out.
"I wasn't as efficient as I wanted to be," Bettis said. "But I knew
that if there was guys on base, I knew how to get them out."
The Padres stranded nine runners and went 1-for-12 with runners in
scoring position.
"If you're 1-for-12 in this ballpark with runners in scoring
position, it's going to come back and haunt you," interim Padres
manager Pat Murphy said. "We didn't do a good job on either end -
defensively or scoring runs with runners in scoring position."
Closer John Axford worked the ninth to earn his 24th save in 29
opportunities.
Catcher Dustin Garneau doubled home two runs in the second after
left fielder Corey Dickerson's run-scoring single, giving the
Rockies a 3-0 lead. Garneau is 8-for-45 (.179) but has five
extra-base hits and eight RBI.
NOTES: Rockies 1B Justin Morneau's triple in the sixth gave him
triples in back-to-back games for the first time in his career. ...
Colorado RHP Tyler Chatwood, who is coming back from his second
Tommy John surgery on July 24, 2014, started Thursday night for low
Class A Asheville and took the loss as the Tourists were eliminated
5-1 by Hickory in the South Atlantic League championship series.
Chatwood threw 42 pitches, including 22 strikes, while allowing one
hit and two runs (one earned) with three walks and two strikeouts.
He is scheduled to stay with the Rockies through most of this final
homestand that ends Sept. 27 and then go to the Rockies'
Instructional League program in Scottsdale, Ariz. ... Padres RHP
Shawn Kelley threw 20 pitches in his first simulated game since he
suffered a strained right forearm on a warmup pitch Sept. 1. The
reliever is expected to throw a bullpen session Sunday and be ready
for Tuesday's series opener with the Giants. ... Padres C Derek
Norris was back in the lineup. He hadn't played since he suffered a
bruised right hand Monday and left the game at Arizona in the bottom
of the fifth. ... Padres RHP Casey Kelly will start Friday at Petco
Park against the Diamondbacks. It will be his first start in the
majors in three years. Kelly underwent Tommy John surgery April 1,
2013.
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