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DENVER — It was another rough night for Tyler Chatwood at Coors Field but the Colorado Rockies mounted an epic ninth-inning comeback culminating in a walk-off 8-7 win over the San Diego Padres.
The Padres got a pair of runs in the first inning on a two-run shot from Wil Myers who is among those who have taunted the Rockies all season long. It was Myers’ 25th of the year.
The Rockies got one back on a two-out single from Chatwood. Then, Charlie Blackmon walked to load the bases and DJ LeMahieu cleared them with a double off the right field wall to give the Rockies a 4-2 lead.
But Chatwood walked the first two hitters of the next inning and the Padres tied it up in the top of the third on a two-run single from Alex Dickerson. They got another on a fielder’s choice that was almost a double play from Luis Sardinas to take a 5-4 lead. They added again in the fourth on a two-out single from Jon Jay and again in the sixth on a solo home run from Sardinas. It was only his fourth of the season.
Chatwood was done after that. His final line: 5 IP, 8 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 7 K.
The Rockies scored in the bottom of the seventh on a fielder’s choice from Carlos Gonzalez, scoring Blackmon who hit his 31st double of the year with one out in the inning.
That turned out to be important for the fireworks that came two innings later.
LeMaheiu began the game-winning rally with a double high off the “Bridich Barrier” in right field, nearly leaving the park. It was a gorgeous line drive on a pitch out away from him that should be shown in hitting schools.
After a pop out from Nolan Arenado brought the Rockies down to their last out, Carlos Gonzalez hit a hard grounder up the middle, setting the stage for the late-game theatrics.
First, rookie David Dahl was called upon to pinch-hit with the game on the line and though he immediately found himself in an 0-2 hole, he battled with his eyes and his bat, fouling off pitch after pitch before finding one he could handle and lining it softly into left field. Another beautiful piece of hitting.
“I was just trying to put a good at-bat together, do anything I could to get on base,” Dahl said after the game.
But the real artwork came from Nick Hundley who was in a 3-2 count for what felt like ages before singling in the tying run against his former team. It was a grind in every sense of the word and if there is one thing Nick Hundley knows how to do, it’s grind.
With the game now tied, and a scarce (but enthusiastic) crowd in attendance after a near 40- minute rain delay in the 8th, Daniel Descalso sent the Coors Faithful home happy with a walk-off double over the centerfielder’s head.
By the Numbers
32 – DJ Lemahieu’s first inning single extended his career-best on-base streak to 32 games. It is the second longest active streak in MLB.
What’s Next
Game 2 between the Padres and Rockies takes place tomorrow night at 6:10 MST. Jon Gray takes on Edwin Jackson as the Rockies continue to search for a series win against sub .500 teams.
