Rockies shut out Padres to pick up series sweep

DENVER -- Franklin Morales may not have resembled the All-Star Tyson Ross for most of this season, but against the Padres, he sure has been making a pretty strong impression.

Morales bested Ross and the Padres on Sunday with six scoreless innings to secure a 6-0 win for the Rockies at Coors Field.

In taking all three games from the Padres, the Rockies earned their first home three-game series sweep of the season and their first sweep of a series since June 13-15 in San Francisco. The win was also the Rockies' 11th win in their last 15 home games and fourth straight overall.

And it was all made possible by Morales' tone-setting performance.

Having allowed just two earned runs in his previous two starts against the San Diego (11 2/3 innings), Morales moved to 3-0 against the Padres this season by scattering four hits and two walks.

"No surprises with the stuff, we've seen him a lot," Padres manager Bud Black said. "The good slider, the fastball had some life. It was a good mix of pitches. As a group, we couldn't get many good swings on it."

Morales did not permit an extra-base hit while striking out six. And considering he had surrendered 13 earned runs in his last two home starts (8 1/3 innings), this one can be chalked up as a surprise -- but a surprise that the Rockies will certainly take.

"When you get a good starting pitcher, the game tends to fall right into place for you," manager Walt Weiss said.

Catching Morales for the first time, Jackson Williams gave the Rockies all the runs they'd need when he stroked a three-run shot in the second for his first career homer.

"After I saw it go over, I was floating around the bases," Williams said. "It was awesome."

Following the homer, Ross fell an out shy of extending his streak of 14 straight quality starts. Once the Rockies got two on with two out in the sixth, his day ended with a line of seven hits, three runs and four walks allowed in 5 2/3 innings pitched.

Just for good measure, the Rockies tacked on two more when Nolan Arenado took left-hander Robbie Erlin deep in the seventh.

In the eighth, Wilin Rosario doubled in his first at-bat off the disabled list to set up Charlie Blackmon's RBI triple.

A combination of Brooks Brown, Adam Ottavino and Christian Friedrich helped close it out after Morales' departure for the Rockies' second shutout in the last three days.