Padres offense unloads to back Kennedy, snap skid
SAN DIEGO -- Ian Kennedy struck out six in six innings and the Padres offense unloaded 14 hits and took advantage of four Rockies errors en route to a 14-3 victory at Petco Park on Friday night in front of 30,186.
After giving up eight runs in 4 1/3 innings to the Dodgers in his last start, Kennedy (1-1) held the Rockies to two runs on four hits in six innings, and struck out six in the Padres second victory in the last nine games. In addition to the four errors, the Padres benefited from the bats of Derek Norris and Yangervis Solarte, who combined for seven RBIs.
Video: COL@SD: Kennedy fans six over six frames vs. Rockies
"In the fourth when we got four runs, we hit some balls in the right spots, some soft hits," Padres manager Bud Black said. "But, we'll take them. As the game went on, we hit the ball harder. I thought we had some good at-bats."
The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Padres.
Video: COL@SD: Black discusses Padres' big offensive output
The errors didn't help starter Eddie Butler (2-2), who lasted just four innings (five runs, three earned, four hits) as the Rockies dropped their fourth in five games. It was the 12th time in 22 games a Rockies starter has not gone beyond five innings pitched. The Rockies produced solo homers by Drew Stubbs in the fifth and Nolan Arenado (fourth) in the sixth, each off Kennedy.
"He had to work hard in that fourth inning," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said of Butler. "He threw the ball well. We made a couple mistakes."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Batting around and around: Two big innings by the Padres offense backed Kennedy's effort. San Diego sent nine batters to the plate in the fourth, scored four runs and padded the lead to 5-0. In the eighth, the Padres pushed across seven runs before Jorge Rondon was chased from the game without recording an out. Rondon, who had allowed one run in his previous outing, saw his ERA rise to 90.00. San Diego scored eight runs in the eighth for a 14-2 lead.
Video: COL@SD: Norris finds the gap to double in a pair
They had plenty of help: In the fourth, the Rockies committed three errors in an inning for the first time since the second inning last June 21 in a 9-4 home loss to the Brewers. Miscues came from Butler on a wild pickoff throw, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki when he bumped into Yonder Alonso while trying to field Will Middlebrooks' grounder, and second baseman DJ LeMahieu on a possible double-play grounder by Alexi Amarista. More >
Video: COL@SD: Middlebrooks reaches on an error
Finally: Stubbs went 0-for-April, and his first-inning strikeout was his 13th in 21 at-bats. But after the Padres' odd four-run fourth, Stubbs launched Kennedy's 1-1 pitch 388 feet into the left-field stands to cut the difference to 5-1. Before this season, the Rockies' record for a season-opening hitless streak that was snapped with a home run was 12 at-bats, shared by Garrett Atkins (2009) and Scott Servais (2000).
Video: COL@SD: Stubbs hammers a solo shot in the 5th
Walk it out: Padres leadoff hitter Wil Myers drew a walk to lead off the San Diego half of the first inning and came around to score on a groundout by Justin Upton for a 1-0 lead. Myers walked again in his next at-bat, the first time he has drawn two free passes in the same game this season. He had two walks in 101 plate appearances before Friday.
QUOTABLE
"Overall, I think for us, to get that off-day [Thursday] rejuvenated everybody. I know we needed it. We were starting to drag the last couple of days, so it was nice to have that break. We were hungry after that last series and weren't feeling too great about it." -- Kennedy on the Padres bouncing back from the losing streak
"I would be if I were him. We haven't played well. We played about as bad as we can play the last three games." -- LeMahieu, when asked if Weiss was upset after Friday's performance
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Kennedy has a 2.87 ERA against the Rockies. Among pitchers with at least 100 career innings pitched against the Rockies, only Hall of Famer Randy Johnson owns a lower ERA (2.47).
WHAT'S NEXT
Rockies: The Padres bested lefty Jorge De La Rosa (0-1, 11.57 ERA) for a career-high tying nine runs in two innings on April 20, when De La Rosa returned from the disabled list from a left groin injury. De La Rosa will try to avenge that game on Saturday at 6:40 p.m. MT.
Padres: Brandon Morrow (1-0, 2.67 ERA) looks to extend his streak of going at least six innings in each of his first four starts when he faces the Rockies on Saturday at 5:40 p.m. PT. Morrow picked up his first National League win in his last outing.
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