San Diego Padres defeat Colorado Rockies 8-3 – MLB Update
The six-run eighth inning on Sunday, July 31 helped the San Diego Padres crush the Colorado Rockies 8-3 at Petco Park in San Diego.
Having won the first two games, the Rockies seemed poised to sweep the series, but failed to realise their dream.
Padres’ offence kicked into action in the eighth inning to completely reverse the tide in the favour of the team and thwarted the Rockies attempt to clinch the three-game series in front of a packed crowd.
"A tumultuous day for sure," San Diego manager Bud Black said. "It was nice to come back in the eighth with those runs. It was an emotional day for a lot of us."
Like their first two wins, the Rockies commenced Sunday’s game with equal winning enthusiasm. After pitching the first scoreless inning, Wade LeBlanc was visibly unable to contain the Rockies’ hitter Ryan Spilborghs.
Spilborghs hit a sacrifice fly to left to score the first run for the Rockies in the 2-hit second inning. Juan Nicasio was then able to toss another scoreless inning, maintaining the Rockies’ 1-0 lead which was only to be doubled in the third.
Troy Tulowitzki went aggressively against the Wade LeBlanc in the 4-hit third inning which brought home another run for Colorado, apparently pointing to the possibility that the Rockies may sweep the series.
However, the lead did not stay for long as Nicasio failed to contain the Padres’ Jesus Guzman who scored an RBI single to bring the lead down to 3-1 for the Padres. Guzman once again drove in an RBI single in the sixth to bring the lead down to 3-2, putting
a tough challenge to the Rockies.
However, Nicasio was not relieved as he pitched the seventh inning, keeping the lead intact. It was in the eighth inning that the Padres’ hitters opened their bat against the unsuspecting Rex Brothers, causing him and his team dismay that was far beyond
any recovery.
Guzman drove in the third run of the game and for his team who was preceded by Chase Headley with triple to deep right. Logan Forsythe was not to be left behind as he doubled to centre to take the lead to 5-3.
Luis Martinez was next to score the fourth run of the inning against a helpless Brothers only to be followed by Rob Johnson who hit a two-run homer that took the lead to 8-3 for San Diego.
Padres’ closer Heath Bell was able to throw an effective ninth inning, a shut-out, to turn the lead into an 8-3 victory for the San Diego Padres. It will be interesting to see how the Padres manage to carry their winning momentum into their next series.
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