Rockies play most complete game of the year, sweep San Diego

The Rockies finally broke their drought of first-inning runs thanks to Nolan Arenado’s third home run in as many games, a towering shot over the centerfield wall that followed a Garret Hampson single to give Colorado a 2-0 lead.

They added another in the second on a pair of doubles from Tony Wolters, who barely missed his first homer of the year, and Charlie Blackmon who came through with two outs to cash in the chance.

They kept it going in the third when Trevor Story produced a one-out single and swiped second in front of a Mark Reynolds walk. In a bit of a surprise, perhaps taking advantage of the soft-tossing rookie on the mound, the Rockies executed a successful double steal, giving Story four taken bags on the season.

That meant Raimel Tapia, who has struck out too much this season, only needed to make a productive out to plate a run but he did better than that, going down to get a 1-2 slider below the zone and hammering it into the gap in right field, nearly over the wall for his first homer of the year, instead settling for his third triple, tallying his first two RBI.

Gray took a no-hitter into the fifth but was greeted by Wil Myers who smashed a hanging slider for a solo home run, extending Gray’s franchise record of having now allowed home runs in 16 straight starts.

Eric Hosmer followed with a walk but Gray focused in for a strikeout of Fernando Tatis and got veteran Ian Kinsler to ground into a double play, avoiding anything resembling a meltdown inning.

The Padres threatened again in the sixth with a Greg Garcia walk and a Franmil Reyes single but Gray worked around them, getting a long out – but an out nonetheless – from Manny Machado in the clutch spot.