SAN DIEGO -- The Rockies managed just three hits in 13 innings, and paid for it when Franmil Reyes homered with two out in the bottom of the 13th inning to give the Padres a 3-2 victory at Petco Park on Thursday night.
The feeble offensive performance overshadowed starter German Marquez's career-high 13 strikeouts in eight innings. It also dropped the Rockies to 1 1/2 games behind the National League West-leading D-backs, who beat the third-place Dodgers, 3-1. The Rockies are a half-game ahead of the Dodgers.
The Rockies can lament their top four hitters -- Charlie Blackmon, DJ LeMahieu, Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story -- going 0-for-21, and an 0-for-8 performance with runners in scoring position, as they took little advantage of three errors on Padres third baseman William Myers, five walks and 16 total strikeouts from their pitchers, which was one shy of the club record.
But manager Bud Black thought it best to appreciate a well-pitched game and move on.
"Both pitching staffs pitched great," Black said. "You look at the entire game, from their starter to our starter -- who was outstanding -- what a game. Both bullpens did their things. It came down to one hanging breaking ball, and a guy with power hit a homer."
Rockies righty Bryan Shaw (4-6) induced a Freddy Galvis fly ball and a Jose Pirela grounder before Reyes sent an 82 mph slider for an arcing trip just over the center-field wall -- and out of the reach of Blackmon to end the evening.
Shaw said he shook off catcher Chris Iannetta to throw the breaking ball, but regretted leaving it letter-high.
"One bad decision, and then bad execution," Shaw said.
The Rockies' offense didn't manage a hit in five innings against Padres starter Eric Lauer, although two errors on Myers led to a run. After Matthew Holliday's sixth-inning single off Trey Wingenter, the Rockies didn't manage another until Ryan McMahon's single off Jose Castillo to open the 10th.
For much of the night, Marquez carried the Rockies on his right arm. The Padres managed their only hits off Marquez in their two-run second, when Hunter Renfroe beat the shift for a one-out single and Austin Hedges tripled when Blackmon took a less-than-efficient angle in center field.
After that, the only baserunners against him were Luis Urias, on a fourth-inning error on Arenado (0-for-14 offensively three games into a seven-game road trip), and Galvis, on Marquez's only walk, to open the eighth. After the walk to Galvis, Marquez coaxed a Manuel Margot fly to center, then fanned Cory Spangenberg and Travis Jankowski. He left with a 2-2 tie.
"My fastball command was much better, much more consistent, I used my offspeed pitches very effectively," Marquez said in Spanish, with first-base coach Tony Diaz translating. "I just wanted to keep the game close enough so that we'd have a chance to win it. I was feeling good and I was going for it."
Marquez became the fifth Rockies pitcher to reach 13 strikeouts in a game, joining Jon Gray (16 on Sept. 17, 2016, against the Padres), Ubaldo Jimenez (13 on May 3, 2010, at San Diego), Shawn Chacon (13 on June 7, 2001, against the Astros) and Darryl Kile (14 on Aug. 20, 1998, at Montreal). Marquez entered fifth in the NL in road ERA, and Thursday's performance lowered his number to 2.83.
Rockies relievers Adam Ottavino and Scott Oberg escaped trouble in the ninth and 11th innings, respectively, by forcing double-play grounders.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Hustle in the absence of hits: Holliday's single, after Story drew a walk from Wingenter to open the sixth, put runners at the corners. Ian Desmond, who has had long dry spells, but a knack for difference-making plays this season, grounded to Myers at third, but was able to beat out Urias' relay throw on the double-play attempt, and the Rockies tied the game at 2.
However, the Rockies couldn't manage any hits or other plays that could force in a much-needed run.
SOUND SMART
Marquez has thrown seven straight quality starts -- the longest such run since Jhoulys Chacin went seven in 2013. Over his streak, Marquez has a 2.17 ERA with 61 strikeouts against 10 walks.
HE SAID IT
"Their bullpen has been good -- statistically, the best bullpen in the National League since the All-Star break. They're getting it done. In this case, the statistics don't lie. It speaks for itself." -- Black, on the six Padres relievers who held the Rockies to a run for seven innings
UP NEXT
Rockies right-hander Antonio Senzatela (4-4, 5.24 ERA) is looking to rebound after giving up seven runs and 10 hits in 4 1/3 innings in a loss to the Cardinals in his last start. He will face the Padres and righty Brett Kennedy (0-2, 7.58) on Friday at 8:10 p.m. MT. In nine appearances (three starts) against the Padres, Senzatela is 4-0 with a 4.00 ERA.