Strikeouts sink Rockies once again in third-straight loss to Padres

It wasn’t a blowout like the night prior or a walk-off heartbreaker as in the series’ opener, but it was a loss, nonetheless.

The competitive contest, 5-3, still featured 12 strikeouts for San Diego pitching for the third consecutive game.

In a scene similar to Tuesday night’s loss, Colorado got a solo homer in the first – Trevor Story’s 10th of the season – before San Diego did one better with a two-run blast in the bottom of the frame by Mitch Moreland, his first in brown pinstripes.

Rockies’ starter Antonio Senzatela looked solid through the middle innings of his night, excluding a bases loaded jam in the second brought on by a hit batter and two base on balls.

As has been the crutch of many rotation mates around the game, it was the third time through the lineup that finished Senza and dropped Colorado in the run column.

Shortly after taking the lead with yet another clutch at-bat from Matt Kemp, Senzatela could not avoid disaster, walking Mitch Moreland on five pitches and immediately giving up a triple to Wil Myers.

One batter later and the momentum – and lead – for the Rockies was squandered as Jake Cronenworth’s single was all the Padres would need on this night.

Tyler Kinley pitched incredibly well, saving Senza from more damage with two runners aboard and no outs in the sixth. A four-pitch strikeout of Abraham Almonte and a quick 4-6-3 double play on the first offering to Jurickson Profar gave Colorado some hope before his second scoreless frame in the seventh.

The Rockies had one last opportunity in the eighth following singles by Charlie Blackmon and Kevin Pillar, but neither Matt Kemp nor Josh Fuentes had any magic in their bat on this night.

Player of the Game: Matt Kemp – 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI

Supplying all the power against Davies’ 79mph changeup, the Rockies best designated hitter hammered a 415ft blast that also scored Arenado to move his club ahead 3-2 in the sixth-inning.

His 19th and 20th RBI moved the 35-year-old ahead of Ryan McMahon for fourth-most on the squad and continued to display the veteran’s ability to hit with runner’s in scoring position.

Moment of the Game: Myers continues to haunt the Rockies

Just 24 hours after a crushing grand slam that would prove a harbinger of things to come, a run-scoring triple from Myers in the sixth tied the score. A single from the National League’s top contender for Rookie of the Year tipped the scales in San Diego’s favor.

Defensive Gem: Charlie Blackmon reels in deep drive at the wall

Before Myers’ latest submission to Denver’s Hall of Heels, the Padres outfielder slashed a Senzatela fastball into right field for extra-bases. However, Chuck Nazty had other ideas, bounding toward the protruding Petco Park wall in section 125.

Diamond Details

• Senzatela entered with a 7-1 record in 14 games against San Diego. His career 2.73 ERA (59.1 IP 18 ER) has actually been impacted negatively in the Padres’ pitcher’s haven (2.95 ERA) in six games there.
• Colorado returns home to Coors Field for the final time in 2020. The nine-game homestand features series against the Los Angeles Angels, Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Dodgers before finishing the season on the road with four games in San Francisco and four against Arizona.