Padres rack up 18 hits in rout of Rockies
SAN DIEGO -- Jedd Gyorko and Matt Kemp hit home runs and the Padres erased an early deficit on their way to a 11-4 victory over the Rockies at Petco Park on Wednesday night.
"Baseball is littered with guys who are good athletes, who rise to the occasion," said Padres interim manager Pat Murphy of Gyorko, who has four home run on this homestand. "Jedd is that guy for us."
San Diego pitcher James Shields allowed two runs in the first inning, but generally pitched better thereafter, winning his 11th game of the season. He allowed four runs in six innings with four walks and six strikeouts.
Colorado starting pitcher Chris Rusin, who tossed a shutout against the Padres on Aug. 16, allowed six runs in three innings.
"He was having to work awful hard tonight, the command was not quite what it's been. Got in a lot of tough counts, it didn't come easy to him tonight. He looked like he labored through it," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said of Rusin. "He's been real good for us, every once in a while you have a clunker."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
GyorkoStoreCalled (again): Gyorko has been a hit since rejoining the team from a stint with Triple-A El Paso earlier this season after early-season struggles offensively. He drilled a three-run home run in the fourth inning off Rusin, his 14th home run of the season and his 12th since rejoining the Padres on June 30.
"I left one up to Gyorko and he made me pay for it," Rusin said. "I just made the wrong mistakes at the wrong times."
Video: COL@SD: Gyorko drills three-run blast to left in 3rd
First for everything: Rookie catcher Dustin Garneau hit his first career home run, blasting a 394-foot two-run shot to left-center field on an 0-2 pitch. Garneau has been starting at catcher since Nick Hundley has been out with a cervical strain. Wednesday's game marked Garneau's eighth start. More >
Video: COL@SD: Garneau hits first career homer in the 4th
No cycle, but … On Aug. 14, against these Rockies at Coors Field, Kemp hit for the first cycle in club history. He didn't get there Wednesday, but he had a first inning home run, his 20th of the season, as part of a two-hit night. It was also his 34th career home run against the Rockies -- the most he's hit against any team.
"This guy comes to play every day. He competes. He's a warrior on the field. He gets after it every day," Murphy said. "Most every win we've had, Matt Kemp has played a role."
Video: COL@SD: Kemp cracks solo homer in the 1st
Bergman solid: On a night where the Rockies' pitching could not find a rhythm, Christian Bergman offered some relief, as the right-hander, allowing just two hits while pitching two scoreless innings.
QUOTABLE
"It's always continuing, you're never satisfied. But my approach and swing are where they need to be right now. Hopefully I'll be able to keep repeating it." -- Gyorko on his recent offensive success
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Gyorko might be a little upset to see the team's 11-game homestand come to a close Thursday against the Rockies, because he's hit four home runs during this homestand against the Rangers, Dodgers and Rockies. Overall, Gyorko has hit nine of his 14 home runs this season at Petco Park. More >
DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE
With his double in the third inning, Padres catcher Derek Norris has 10 doubles this season against the Rockies, a franchise record for doubles in a season against a single opponent. He surpassed Brian Giles (2008), Ryan Klesko (2002) and Steve Finley (1996) who all had nine doubles in their respective seasons.
REPLAY REVIEW
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Colorado challenged the call that Kemp was safe at first on an attempted double play. After the review, the call on the field would stand. Wil Myers scored on Kemp's forceout.
Video: COL@SD: Kemp reaches on RBI forceout, call stands
WHAT'S NEXT
Rockies: The Rockies will send Jorge De La Rosa to the mound for the series finale against the Padres on Thursday at 1:40 p.m. MT. De La Rosa (9-6, 4.24 ERA) took a loss last time he faced San Diego on July 17 at Petco Park.
Padres: Tyson Ross (10-10, 3.21) gets the start Thursday in the series finale at 12:40 p.m. Ross has allowed three or fewer earned runs in 14 of his last 15 starts. He has a 3.78 ERA in three starts against Colorado this season.
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