In the first two games of the series the Rockies had no trouble scoring runs, but game three was a different story. The Rockies couldn't so much as get a man to second base until the 6th inning, as Padres starter Clayton Richard stymied the previously hot Rockies offense. It wasn't until Todd Helton's pinch-hit two-run HR off of Dale Thayer that the Rockies got any offense and it was all the offense the Rockies would need thanks in large part to a brilliant effort from Jorge De La Rosa.
Helton got off to a slow start this year and had many questioning if maybe he's getting to old for this. Well, Helton shot down some critics with a strong offensive performance in the series going 6-for-9 with four RBI and three extra-base hits -- including Sunday's decisive home run. Helton's theatrics were set up by a Rockies pitching staff that surrendered just two hits all afternoon.
De La Rosa pitched 6 effective innings, striking out 7 and giving up 2 hits and 2 BBs. His biggest blemish was his inability to get down a sacrifice bunt; it could have been worse than that, as he was hit on the finger attempting to lay down the bunt. De La Rosa shook it off and seemed to get sharper after being hit. Wilton Lopez and Matt Belisle followed DLR's performance with 1-2-3 seventh and eighth innings, setting the stage for Rafael Betancourt's fifth save of the year.
Betancourt, who usually has impeccable command, walked the first two batters he faced. After a sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly Betancourt faced Nick Hundley with the tying run on second. Betancourt struck out Hundley to end the threat and preserve the Rockies' win.
8-4
Games Back: 0.5
Streak: Won 3
Games Left: 150
Source: FanGraphs