Rockies rally can't redeem Gray's tough start

After dropping two of three to the Atlanta Braves in their first home series of the year, the Colorado Rockies looked to get back on track behind their ace against the San Diego Padres on Monday night.

With Jon Gray taking the hill, the Rockies began their second series against the Padres on the young season, victorious in three of the four contests in Petco Park from April 2 to 5. In the finale, Gray outdueled Clayton Richard, continuing his career long domination of the Padres with seven shutout innings with a strikeout per frame.

Gray would show flashes of that brilliance early on, but the night would go sporadically for him. He began the night with his typical success against San Diego, striking out the side in the first on 13 pitches. He victimized Carlos Asuaje, Chase Headley and Eric Hosmer in order, ending the frame on a whiff from the latter on a backdoor slider that just painted the black.

The second inning would not go so smoothly, however. Jose Pirela and Cory Spangenberg started the inning with back to back singles. Gray seemed to be on the brink of escaping after inducing a 3-6-1 double play off the bat of Freddy Galvis, but after Austin Hedges reached on a swinging-bunt single, Manuel Margot dropped a ball in front of Carlos Gonzalez to give the Padres the lead.

It would not last long, however. Ian Desmond continued his assault of the Padres, crushing an 89 mph two-seamer over the Bridich Barrier the other way for his third home run on the season, and his second against San Diego.

Gray returned to his initial form in the third, again setting down the top of the Padres lineup in order, adding another round of strikeouts against Asuaje and Hosmer. He once again put Hosmer down on a swing and a miss on the slider, this one on the backdoor low and inside.

In the Rockies half of the inning, Charlie Blackmon, back in the lineup after missing a game with back soreness, reached with a two out walk, bringing up DJ LeMahieu. On the fourth pickoff attempt of the at-bat and the third in a row, Richard airmailed it up the first base line, allowing Blackmon to advance to third and giving the Rockies their first RISP situation. Richard escaped unscathed, however, by getting LeMahieu to rollover on a ball that 2017 shortstop gold glover Galvis handled with ease to end the inning.

With Pirela leading off the fourth, Gray put him to work. Pirela had to foul off consecutive pitches well outside the strike zone with a 2-2 count—the first outside, the second high and tight. Pirela would return the favor by grounding the seventh pitch of the at-bat right back at Gray, forcing some quick reflexes to make the stab and record the out.

But the inning would spiral out of control quickly. After recording two outs, Gray gave up four consecutive extra base hits: a triple to Galvis, a double to Hedges that uncharacteristically got through Arenado, and back to back home runs, a second-deck shot from Gray’s counterpart Richard followed by one from Asuaje, whom had failed to put a ball in play in previous two at-bats. Gray ended the inning on a groundout by Headley, but not before the Padres had built up a 6-1 lead.

The Rockies began chipping away immediately, starting with a Trevor Story double to left and a four pitch walk to Desmond. Then, on the first pitch Chris Iannetta saw, he turned on a middle-low fastball, just clearing the wall in the left-center gap for his first home run with the Rockies since Sept. 15, 2011, and drawing the Rockies within two runs, 6-4.

However, the back and forth would continue in the fifth, with a Hosmer lead-off single up the middle on an 1-2 count. He would advance to second on a wild pitch by Gray, and score on the next pitch when Pirela lined a ball down the first base line. Hosmer might have been held at third, but Gonzalez fell over cutting the ball off, giving both runners an extra base. After Spangenberg advanced Pirela to third with a sacrifice bunt, another run was just 90 feet away.

But Gray avoided further damage with a strikeout of Galvis on a curveball at the bottom of the zone that he swung through, and made a nice play covering first on a weak groundball by Hedges that first baseman Pat Valaika fielded well. The Rockies escaped with only one run surrendered in the frame. At 83 pitches, it was the last pitch he threw in the game, with the pitcher spot coming up in the bottom of the inning.

The Rockies threatened again in the fifth, with a one out single by Blackmon and a walk to Arenado putting the tying run at the plate for Story with two outs. However, the opportunity would not be realized, as he would go down swinging to end the inning.

Antonio Senzatela started on the mound in the sixth, pitching a clean inning on 10 pitches on two ground outs and a fly out.

In the bottom of the frame, with former Rockie Jordan Lyles on the mound, Iannetta worked an eight-pitch walk. Then, in one of the strangest plays you’ll see, Gonzalez lined a ball to the left field wall, and it appeared that Spangenberg made a spectacular, home-run robbing catch before dropping it over the wall for the same result anyway. A fan interference review and a Padres manager Andy Green ejection later, and the Rockies were within one, 7-6.

After Mike Dunn and Bryan Shaw pitched around a pair of the singles in the top of the seventh, the Rockies began a rally of their own in the bottom. Lyles walked Blackmon and was almost annihilated by a comebacker from LeMahieu to put runners on first and second before being pulled. His relief, Craig Stammen, embarrassed Arenado on a four pitch strikeout and nearly got Story to ground into a double play to third, who barely beat the throw to first. Then, after getting behind Desmond 3-0, he battled back into a full count before getting a soft ground ball that ended the threat with the Padres’ lead intact.

In the eighth, Shaw pitched around a lead-off single to throw a clean frame, recording his 400th career strikeout against Hunter Renfroe in the process.

The Rockies bats went quietly in the eighth, and Adam Ottavino struck out a pair in a 1-2-3 ninth, sending the Rockies to the plate down by one with three outs to go and Padres closer Brad Hand into the game.

Hand struck out the side, and the game was over.

Final: Padres 7, Rockies 6. Colorado falls to 5-6.

Final Stats

Rockies

Jon Gray: 5 IP, 10 H, 7 R (7 ER), 1 IBB, 6 K

Ian Desmond: 1-for-3, HR, BB, 2 R

Carlos Gonzalez: 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI

Chris Iannetta: 1-for-3, HR, 3 RBI, BB, K

Padres

Clayton Richard: 5 IP, 5 H, 4 R (4 ER), 3 BB, 3 K, 1-for-3, HR, 3 RBI

Jose Pirela: 3-for-4, RBI, R

Carlos Asuaje: 1-for-4, HR, 2 K

Eric Hosmer: 2-for-5, 1 R, 3 K

What’s next

The Rockies seek redemption and to force a decisive game three against the Padres. Tyler Anderson looks to build on his previous start, in which he shut out San Diego over six innings, surrendering four hits and striking the same number out. He’ll be opposed by Joey Lucchesi, who shut out the Rockies over five innings on April 5, striking out seven. First pitch is 6:40 MDT.