Padres outslug Rox to pick up Shields and sweep
SAN DIEGO -- Justin Upton, Jedd Gyorko and Derek Norris each drilled home runs on Sunday to overcome four home runs by the Rockies as San Diego held on for an 8-6 victory at Petco Park, securing a three-game series sweep.
Upton hit a two-run home run in the first inning and later added an RBI double in the fifth inning to give the Padres (14-12) the lead for good. Gyorko's pinch-hit, two-run homer in the sixth gave San Diego a three-run lead.
Video: COL@SD: Gyorko goes deep to center field to pad lead
The Rockies (11-13) got two home runs each from Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon. Blackmon led off with a homer off Padres pitcher James Shields (3-0), who allowed five runs in 5 1/3 innings. Blackmon added a solo home run in the ninth inning.
Video: COL@SD: Arenado goes deep twice off Shields
Colorado pitcher Kyle Kendrick (1-4) allowed six runs in five innings and hit two batters as the Rockies finished their road trip 1-5, with five straight losses.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Uptown funk: Upton has a firm grip on the Padres' home run lead, as he hit his seventh of the season in the first inning Sunday. He ambushed a first-pitch fastball from Kendrick, hitting it well over the wall in left-center field. No other Padre has more than four home runs.
"That's what I'm here for," Upton said of his ability to drive in runs.
No shutdown: After struggling throughout the road trip for runs, the Rockies got power from Blackmon in the first for a 1-0 lead, and Arenado in the fourth for a 3-2 lead and again in the fifth for a 5-5 tie. Each time, however, the Rockies were behind after Kendrick's half of the inning. Upton's homer in the first and doubles in the fourth and fifth were keys, as was Norris' homer in the fourth. More >
"You want to have shutdown innings after you score," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "They've got a tough lineup to keep down and they didn't miss some of the mistakes they saw today."
Video: COL@SD: Blackmon rips line-drive solo homer in 9th
Hot corner: Yangervis Solarte is a third baseman by trade, although he started there for only the third time this season Sunday. No matter. He looked at ease chasing down and then making a outstretched grab of Daniel Descalso's pop-up in foul territory -- in front of the Rockies dugout -- to end the fourth inning.
Video: COL@SD: Solarte makes tremendous diving catch
Taking their shot: Two Rockies strategic moves didn't pay in the sixth, trailing, 6-5. Michael McKenry was hit by a Shields pitch to open the inning, but DJ LeMahieu swung through a hit-and-run and McKenry was erased at second by a Norris throw. Later, however, Descalso drew a Dale Thayer walk to load the bases. Weiss turned to Troy Tulowitzki to pinch hit, but he popped Thayer's first pitch -- a fastball that started out but ran inside -- to short. Thayer threw a rare changeup to work a grounder from Blackmon to end the frame. Blackmon had fouled off a fastball earlier.
"What matters is getting those hits in those situations, and we didn't do it today," Blackmon said.
QUOTABLE
"Those are nice coming off what happened to us. It was nice to bounce back like that." -- Padres manager Bud Black on the sweep of the Rockies, which came right after the team was swept by the Astros
"We need to do everything -- pitch better, hit better, click with men on base. We're not very good right now. We need to start changing it up, because losing is contagious and people start to get out of it. We need to start winning." -- Arenado on the Rockies' woes
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
The Padres lead the National League by having six players with 10 or more RBIs this season -- Upton (21), Wil Myers (17), Solarte (17), Matt Kemp (16), Norris (16) and Will Middlebrooks (12).
Video: COL@SD: Upton laces go-ahead double to left-center
REPLAY REVIEW
Weiss used his manager's challenge wisely in the fifth inning when he disputed that Corey Dickerson was out at first base on what looked to be an inning-ending, 4-6-3 double play. The call was overturned and Arenado followed with a game-tying, two-run home run.
Video: COL@SD: Force play at first overturned in 5th inning
WHAT'S NEXT
Road team: The Rockies open a three-game series against the D-backs at Coors Field at 6:40 p.m. MT. Lefty Tyler Matzek (2-0, 2.70 ERA), who beat the D-backs last Monday, will start against righty Josh Collmenter (2-3, 2.76).
Padres: The Padres open a nine-game road trip on Monday against the Giants at AT&T Park. This will be their longest road trip of the season to date. Tyson Ross gets the start. He's 1-2 with a 4.55 ERA but his strikeouts-per-nine innings rate of 12.04 is good for third in baseball.
Watch every out-of-market regular season game live on MLB.TV.