Nolan Arenado stays clutch, Antonio Senzatela stays calm in Rockies win

DENVER – There was a 12-year difference in age between tonight’s starting pitchers in the contest between the Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres. Antonio Senzatela (22) and Jered Weaver (34) were evenly matched through the first five innings. But it was the youngster who ultimately came out on top, showing mental strength well beyond his years.

Manuel Margot hit a home run to lead off the game, already his third of the season and his second of the lead-off variety. The 22-year-old outfielder appears to be this year’s Trevor Story so far.

Carlos Gonzalez tied the game by hitting his first home run of the season, a 393-foot shot over the right field fence.

Senzatela was flying through the game, pitching quickly and efficiently, taking only 60 pitches to get through the first five innings haven given up only two hits.

The Padres got a small ball run in the top of the sixth. Margot came through with a one-out infield single, just barely beating a barehanded attempt from Nolan Arenado, and he moved to third on a single up the middle by Travis Jankowski that nearly turned into a double play. Wil Myers didn’t waste the opportunity, driving a ball to deep center for the sac fly to give the Padres a 2-1 lead.

Charlie Blackmon tied the game right back up immediately, however, with a 458-foot blast over the right-center field wall, his second home run of the season. The curveball came in at 74 mph but left Blackmon’s bat at 105 mph … wow.

When Senzatela recorded the first out of the seventh, he became the first Rockies starter to record an out in the seventh inning or later this season despite being it’s youngest member by over two years. He finished the inning, polishing off the best start of the year for his club this far.

His final line: 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. He threw 94 pitches, 64 for strikes.

What a day for the kid. He worked an incredibly fast pace, kept the ball in the zone, and in the only real jam he saw in the final inning, showed remarkable composure to finish off the night. He earned his first MLB win.

The Rockies third solo home run of the night came from the king of clutch, Nolan Arenado who his just the second opposite-field home run of his career but the 114th of his career in general. It was his third of the season, though, and his fifth run he has driven in. All five RBI either tied the game or put the Rockies ahead. This one gave the team a 3-2 lead that they would never relinquish.

Adam Ottavino struck out the side in the eighth, looking the best he has all season, inducing ugly swing after ugly swing.

Greg Holland walked the first batter he faced, the second base runner he has allowed this season and things got a bit tense in a one-run game when he moved to second on a pitch that skipped away from catcher Tony Wolters. But he struck out Hunter Renfroe and Austin Hedges to end the game, securing his fifth save in five tries.

This was the first game in franchise history that the Rockies have won a game with exactly three solo home runs.

The bullpen, the bane of 2016, continues to look like the strongest part of the 2017 Colorado Rockies. Though, the third baseman is pretty good, too.

The Rockies will go for their third straight series win tomorrow afternoon against these Padres. Kyle Freeland will get his second start of the year.