Total domination: Rockies get back on track in big win

It was a wire-to-wire domination of the San Diego Padres by the Colorado Rockies on Saturday afternoon. The offense broke out in a big way, highlighted by a grand slam from Ian Desmond, and starting pitcher Tyler Chatwood scored more runs (two) than he allowed (one) in a complete game effort marred by just one mistake pitch. When the dust had settled, the Rockies stood as victors by a score of 10-1.

Colorado got their first run thanks to a Padres mistake in the fourth. Carlos Gonzalez hit a pop up to center that second baseman Yangervis Solarte dropped. CarGo moved up to third on an Ian Desmond ground ball and scored on a two-out RBI single up the middle from Gerardo Parra who continues to drive in important runs for this team.

Chatwood “helped his own cause” (an odd phrase since pitchers are always trying to help the team cause) by starting a fifth inning rally with a one-out double to left-center field. Chatty has been bitten by opposing pitchers while on the mound a few times this season, so that must have felt like a bit of cosmic retribution.

When Charlie Blackmon struck out, it looked like Colorado might stand Chatwood at second, but DJ LeMahieu came through with the two-out single to score him. Then Nolan Arenado smashed a towering shot that was a threat to all low-flying aircraft to make it 4-0.

This is a thing of beauty pic.twitter.com/esI4PniEA3

— Jake Shapiro (@Shapalicious) June 3, 2017

Chatwood gave one back on a solo home run by Austin Hedges, a screaming line drive that ricocheted off the brick wall just in fair play down the left field line.

That would end up being a footnote though when a series of fantastic at-bats from Blackmon, LeMahieu, and Gonzalez loaded the bases for Ian Desmond who launched the third grand slam of his career and third home run of the season on the very first pitch he saw.

Desmond has hit safely in nine of his last 11 games and that was the kind of swing that could get him hot in a hurry. Yes, he had a two-home-run ballgame earlier in the season at this same park but this was on a much better pitch and comes in the midst of a stretch of play where the Rockies big free-agent acquisition is clearly seeing the ball out of the hand much better.

Colorado added a pair of runs in the eighth to make it an even 10.

LeMahieu went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI and a pair of runs scored, Arenado knocked in three to put himself into the Top 12 in MLB. Parra went 2-for-2 with two walks. He has 12 hits in his last 16 at-bats and has raised his batting average to .319. With a pair of hits, Blackmon pulled back into a tie with Corey Dickerson for most hits in MLB. With two runs scored, Blackmon moved into a tie with Eric Thames for second in the National League, fourth in MLB, in that category.

Chatwood’s final line: 8 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K.

He was positively dominant, especially with the curveball and the two-seem fastball. It was a complete performance the likes of which it can be difficult to remember when he struggles — especially at home — but boy was it a sight to behold.

The Rockies moved to 35-23 on the season, they are now 16-8 after a loss, and will be at worst tied for first place in the NL West in the morning with the Los Angeles Dodgers.