Field Level Media
Jul 30, 2021
Back-to-back doubles by Tommy Pham and Fernando Tatis Jr. opening the bottom of the first produced the game's only run through 7 1/2 innings Thursday night as host San Diego finally prevailed 3-0 in a pitching duel between the Padres' Joe Musgrove and the Colorado Rockies' Kyle Freeland.
The Padres scored twice in the bottom of the eighth on Jake Cronenworth's 14th homer of the season.
Musgrove (7-7) blanked the Rockies on three hits and a walk over seven innings while equaling his season-high of 11 strikeouts. Musgrove retired the last nine Rockies he faced after working out of jams in the first and fourth innings.
Relievers Drew Pomeranz and Mark Melancon each worked a scoreless inning to complete the shutout. Melancon picked up his major league-leading 32nd save.
Freeland (1-6) gave up the one run on eight hits and a walk with four strikeouts in six innings.
Pham opened the game with a line drive to left-center that one-hopped the wall for a ground-rule double. Tatis immediately followed with a double toward the line in left. Pham also scored the Padres' second run, drawing a walk ahead of Cronenworth's drive high off the right field foul pole in the eighth.
The Padres had two runners thrown out in the plate in the bottom of the sixth.
Manny Machado opened the inning with a ground-rule double to right center and moved to third on Cronenworth's groundout to first. Machado then tried to score when Freeland threw a pitch that got past catcher Dom Nunez. Machado tried to score, but the ball bounced off the backstop to Nunez, who tossed to Freeland who made the tag on Machado.
Wil Myers then drew a two-out walk and stole second. Eric Hosmer followed with a single behind second. Although Trevor Story's throw to first was late, rookie first baseman Rio Ruiz spotted Myers trying to score and threw a strike to Nunez, beating Myers.
The Rockies had runners at first and third with one out in the first on back-to-back singles by Brendan Rogers and Charlie Blackmon. But Musgrove retired Story on a short fly to right then struck out Ryan McMahon. Blackmon doubled to open the fourth and advanced to third on Story's fly to right. But Musgrove struck out McMahon and Sam Hilliard.
--Field Level Media