Padres squeeze past Rockies to avoid sweep

DENVER – On the one-year anniversary of Jon Gray’s finest performance as pro—a 16 strikeout complete game shutout against San Deigo—he was headed for a repeat of it when rain ended his day.

In a game where two of the better pitchers in Rockies franchise history faced off in Gray and Jhuolys Chacin, Gray showed that it was out with the old and in with the new. Gray went five striking out seven on 63 pitches, 40 of which were strikes. The wolf only allowed two hits in his winning-like effort and has continued to be one of the better pitchers in baseball over the past six weeks.

Chacin, top five all-time in WAR amongst Rockies pitchers, was also knocked out by the rain in the bottom half of the fifth. He, unlike Gray, was knocked around a bit.

At the time it didn’t look like the rain would make a difference in the game as the Rockies hung on to what seemed to be a comfortable lead but their offense disappeared as the sun reappeared and their bullpen couldn’t hold the Padres’ floodgates back.

Behind two in the eighth, the Padres tied the game at three which led to a bullpen collapse as Greg Holland allowed the game-winning run to score on a squeeze in the ninth. The Padres won by a slim four to three.

The Rockies offense got off to a bit of a stagnate start, stranding runners in each of the first two innings then going down in order in the third.

The Padres faced the wolf’s wrath through the first third of the game, not allowing a hit until the third which was quickly erased by a double play. He used his fastball very nicely and kept it high for the Padres, who swung under it a bunch.

The bottom of the fourth is when the Rockies awoke. A leadoff walk to Carlos Gonzalez was followed by a single from Nolan Arenado. Gerardo Parra drove in the game’s first run with a single and Trevor Story doubled home Arenado and Parra. Story was thrown out trying to stretch that hit into a triple but the damage was done.

Gray threw a clean fourth and then allowed just a double in the fifth before the rain forced him from the game. The delay lasted 83 minutes and Chris Rusin took over and allowed a 443 ft solo shot to Yangervis Solarte.

Rusin got into some trouble in the next frame allowing a single but Pat Neshek cleaned it up and kept the score at 3-1.

Charlie Blackmon and DJ LeMahieu each singled in the seventh but were stranded.

Neshek like Rusin allowed a two-out single in his inning, the eighth. Yet Jake McGee allowed a double to Solarte and Bud Black had to turn to Scott Oberg to get Wil Myers with the tying run on second.

Oberg four-pitch walked Myers to load the bases and on the second pitch to Hector Sanchez was ripped for a two-run scoring single to right. Oberg got out of it tied but the Rockies had their lead erased headed to the bottom of the eighth. Each of the two runs came with two outs.

Story beat out an infield single in the eighth but was stranded.

Greg Holland came on to pitch the ninth. After striking out the first batter he walked Matt Szczur. Allen Cordoba then singled and Szczur moved to third. The Padres had Austin Hedges lay down a squeeze and Holland made an incredible play to tag Szczur at the plate but the ball popped out and the Padres took the lead and won by a score of 4-3.

The Rockies head out on their last road trip of the season where they’ll be in San Francisco on Tuesday and Wednesday and in San Deigo for four games starting Thursday. The Rockies lead the Brewers by 2.5 games for the second NL Wildcard spot and Colorado trails Arizona by 5 games for the first spot.