The Sports Xchange
Jul 19, 2017
DENVER -- Slumping Carlos Gonzalez showed some offensive life, and Mark Reynolds ended a long homer drought Tuesday night as the Colorado Rockies held off the San Diego Padres 9-7.
After the Padres struck for three runs in the first, Reynolds hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the inning. It was his 20th homer but his first in 55 at-bats since June 26.
Gonzalez's two-run double in a four-run fifth gave the Rockies a 6-4 lead. He singled home a run in the sixth that put the Colorado ahead 9-6. The double was Gonzalez's first extra-base hits since June 21.
Gonzalez was not in the lineup the previous two days and had gone 4-for-27 with 10 strikeouts since being reinstated from the disabled list July 3. He missed nine games with a right shoulder strain.
The multi-RBI game was Gonzalez's first since June 6. And with three RBIs, he matched his total in his past 11 games.
The win was the eighth in 23 games for the Rockies, who last won three straight when they completed a six-game winning streak June 18.
Colorado is 23-11 in games decided by one or two runs and 18-9-4 in series this season.
Rookie Antonio Senzatela (10-3), who won for the first time since June 16, gave up four runs (three earned) in five innings in his first start since June 22. With an eye toward limiting his innings, the Rockies gave him a three-game breather in the bullpen and had him make a start last week at Triple-A Albuquerque.
Closer Greg Holland struck out the three batters he faced in the ninth to earn his 30th save in 31 opportunities.
Taking the mound on his 25th birthday, Padres rookie Dinelson Lamet (3-4) gave up six runs (five earned) in four innings with four walks and seven strikeouts in his Coors Field debut.
The Padres jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first, a deficit the Rockies erased with one swing in the bottom of the inning. After Carlos Asuaje doubled with one out, Senzatela walked Wil Myers.
Jose Perala doubled home a run. Third baseman Alexi Amarista made a diving attempt for Jabari Blash's hard two-out grounder but wasn't able to hold the ball. A run scored on the infield hit, and a second runner crossed the plate on Amarista's errant throw to first.
In the bottom half, Lamet walked two of the first three batters he faced and paid dearly for it when Reynolds belted a first-pitch fastball over the wall in center.
The Padres took a 4-3 lead in the top of the fifth when Myers hit his 17th homer with two outs. He drove Senzatela's first-pitch fastball an estimated 443 feet into the seats in left-center.
But as happened in the first, that San Diego lead was short-lived when the Rockies struck for four runs in their half of the inning for a 7-4 advantage. Charlie Blackmon led off with his major league leading 12th triple. He scored when DJ LeMahieu followed with a sacrifice fly, a line drive that went off the glove of right fielder Blash.
Gerardo Parra followed with a single that finished Lamet. With one out, Gonzalez doubled home two runs against Phil Maton with a drive into the gap in right-center. Amarista made it 7-4 with a two-out single that scored Gonzalez.
Colorado reliever Chris Rusin took over in the sixth and gave up two infield hits and threw a wild pitch to start the inning. Erick Aybar hit a sacrifice fly, and with two outs, pinch hitter Matt Szcuzr grounded a run-scoring into left to trim the Colorado lead to 7-6.
The Rockies scored twice in the sixth on a bloop double by Gerardo Parra and Gonzalez's line-drive single to take a 9-6 lead.
Asuaje made it 9-7 when he hit first major league home run to open the seventh.
NOTES: Rockies CF Charlie Blackmon extended his hitting streak to 13 games. ... Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque, and OF Raimel Tapia was optioned to Albuquerque. ... Rockies RHP Chad Bettis (testicular cancer) made his second rehab appearance, first in relief, for Double-A Hartford and threw 46 pitches in 2 2/3 innings while allowing three hits and one run with one walk and three strikeouts. ... Rockies 3B Nolan Arenado was given a planned rest. He didn't start for just the fourth time this season. ... Padres C Austin Hedges was placed on the seven-day concussion list, and RHP Jose Valdez was recalled from Triple-A El Paso. ... Padres OF Frenchy Cordero joined the team and will be officially recalled from Triple-A El Paso on Wednesday and be in the lineup.