Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.

Friday night was one of the more dramatic and incredible comebacks in Padres history.

The Padres rallied from a seven-run deficit, then tied the game at 11 with six runs in the ninth and won it 16-12 with five runs in the 12th.

Hunter Renfroe, who was 4-for-7 with five RBIs, joined Steve Finley as the only Padres to have two three-homer games. Rookie Fernando Tatis Jr. drove a 115.9 mph single through the middle in the ninth to tie the game. Fellow rookie Austin Allen had a pinch-hit double in the 12th. Renfroe homered in both innings.

The Padres had 21 hits while scoring 16 runs for the fourth time at Coors Field. But it was the relief pitching of Luis Perdomo, Trey Wingenter and Craig Stammen that was as important as any of the hits.

Absolutely amazing.

But when it comes to comeback Padres wins, my favorite remains Sept. 12, 1998, when the Padres rallied from a 7-0 deficit to defeat the Dodgers, 8-7, before 60,823 fans at Qualcomm Stadium. The added prize to that comeback -- when Trevor Hoffman retired the final Dodger to earn his 49th save -- was that the Padres clinched their third National League West title.

The Dodgers led that game 7-0 going into the bottom of the fifth.

The Padres scored three in the fifth on a Wally Joyner leadoff homer and a two-run double by Chris Gomez.

Then the Padres scored five runs in a most unusual sixth. San Diego started by loading the bases with none out on a single by Greg Vaughn and two walks. It then scored three runs without putting the ball in play. Greg Myers drew a bases-loaded walk, Andy Sheets was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Gomez drew a bases-loaded walk. Quilvio Veras tied the game with a sacrifice fly and Vaughn singled home the decisive run as the packed house went wild.

I challenge anyone to top that.

Notebook

• Outfielder Wil Myers is 5-for-11 in the first two games of this four-game series at Coors Field with two doubles, an RBI and three runs scored. Going into Saturday, Myers had hit in all six of his games vs. the Rockies this season, going 12-for-25 (.480). He has a lifetime average of .366 (48-for-131) at Coors Field while hitting .289 (37-for-128) against the Rockies away from Coors Field.

• Renfroe has four homers in 24 at-bats at Coors Field this season, going into Saturday's game. Renfroe has a team-leading 21 homers on the season with 10 in 62 at-bats since May 24 in Toronto.

• Second baseman Ian Kinsler went 3-for-5 Friday night with two walks to reach base five times for the first time this season. He extended his hitting streak to six games, during which he went 9-for-25 (.360 average), including a double and a homer. Kinsler has raised his batting average from .171 to .220 since May 14, going 22-for-74 (.297) with five doubles and four homers for a .527 slugging percentage in that span.

• Third baseman Manny Machado went 7-for-12 with a double, five RBIs and six runs scored the first two games of this series, while shortstop Tatis went 5-for-11 with two triples, a double two RBIs and four runs.