San Diego Padres knock off Colorado Rockies 8-2 – MLB Recap
Ryan Ludwick lit the lamp with a three-run homer and Mat Latos earned his first win of the season, as the San Diego Padres held on to take down the Colorado Rockies, 8-2, and take the final meeting
of the three-game series, at Coors Field, Denver, Colorado on Sunday.
Jason Bartlett doubled in a pair during a five-run seventh and Ryan Ludwick homered for the last-place San Diego, which continued its offensive breakout, scoring 43 times over its previous five contests
for an average of 8.6 runs.
"I think that is a huge weight off of his shoulders," said San Diego manager Bud Black about Latos getting the win. "But it's just one game and he needs to build off of this."
Jason Hammel (3-3) allowed a season-high six runs in his 6 1/3-inning start, surrendering six hits and three walks in the loss for Colorado, which has dropped 10 of 13 games this month.
"We are obviously frustrated out there," said Hammel. "But we can't get too down on ourselves or starting questioning everything we do because we do good things out there; it's just not working out
for us right now."
Colorado got on the board pushing across a run in the first inning without getting a hit. Seth Smith and Carlos Gonzalez drew one-out walks and Smith took advantage for a 1-0 edge off a throwing error
by second baseman Eric Patterson, whose double play relay to first base was wild.
Latos issued all three of his walks in the first two innings before settling in and striking out five. He broke out mainly unharmed regardless of walking three of his first eight batters.
With the Padres trailing, 1-0, in the fourth, Ludwick got San Diego on the board, when he sent a fastball from Jason Hammel (3-3) over the left-center field fence for his sixth homer in the fourth
inning, bringing in Jorge Cantu and Brad Hawpe in the process.
Colorado made it one run game 3-2 in the sixth when Todd Helton homered for the second consecutive day, putting his sixth homer into Colorado’s bullpen in right-centre. It was his third home run in
four games, but San Diego extended the margin in the seventh.
The Padres iced it with a five-run burst in the seventh inning that sent much of the crowd moving for the exits. Ludwick fouled out to start the inning, and the next five hitters reached base with
hits. Chase Headley and Will Venable each drove in a run and came around on Bartlett's two-bagger to left off Felipe Paulino.
Hawpe accounted for the final scoring 8-2 with an RBI single, and a bullpen attempt comprised of Chad Qualls, Cory Luebke, Luke Gregerson and Ernesto Frieri, crushed Colorado’s bats behind Latos,
sending the Rockies to their eighth drop in 10 games.
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