Rockies 5, Padres 4: Home run-heavy offense lifts Rox over Friars

Colorado’s offense went long and the bullpen held things down on Saturday, as the Rockies bested the Padres 5-4 in exciting fashion.

A trip to the Cron Zone, yet again

After hitting two huge homers last night, C.J. Cron entered Saturday’s game looking to continue his recent tear. Fans didn’t have to wait long as, in the bottom of the first inning, he followed a two-out Charlie Blackmon double with his 17th home run of the season, a 428-foot job to left field. The Rockies quickly took a 2-0 lead and were in business early on. If Cron can keep his hot streak going, he’s on pace to top his single-season home run total of 30, set in 2018 as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Márquez’s rough fifth

After his rough start to the season, Germán Márquez has really started to turn things around as of late, looking more like the ace Rockies fans have grown accustomed to. His first four innings looked much the same, as the right-hander allowed four hits and one run. The fifth frame took a rough turn, however, as his once-dominant outing started to show some cracks.

With Colorado up 2-1, a swinging strikeout of Jurickson Profar started things off right before Jake Cronenworth, having the June of his life, laced a double to left field. He was quickly brought home on Manny Machado’s 12th home run of the season, putting the Padres up 3-2.

Luke Voit followed with a double to left, and would later score on a RBI groundout by Nomar Mazara. In all, Márquez allowed four earned runs and eight hits in his five innings of work - half of those hits came in that fateful fifth inning alone. His outing that began with such promise instead left the Rockies with a two-run deficit to overcome.

Blackmon to the rescue

It seems like Charlie Blackmon reaches a new milestone every other day lately, and Saturday was no different. After that tough fifth inning, the Rockies struck right back by way of a Yonathan Daza base hit and Chuck’s 11th home run of the season, a no-doubter to right field that flew 433 feet.

The home run tied the game at four, but carries some considerable historical significance as well. Blackmon now has 202 career long balls, passing Dante Bichette for sole possession of sixth place in Rockies franchise history.

RyMac jack leads attack

With the game tied thanks to some very nice bullpen work by Jhoulys Chacín (two innings pitched, one hit, one hit by pitch, one strikeout, no runs) and Álex Colomé (one inning pitched, one strikeout, no runs), the game remained tied heading into the bottom of the eighth. It would not remain so after Ryan McMahon’s at-bat, as he took San Diego reliever Luis García deep into the bullpen for his fifth home run of the season and Colorado’s third of the game, giving the Rockies the lead back at 5-4.

Ninth inning scaries

Daniel Bard allowed a leadoff double to Ha-seong Kim in the ninth to put the tying run in scoring position, but was able to coax a groundout of Jurickson Profar for the first out of the inning. After walking Jake Cronenworth, he then faced down Manny Machado with two on and one out, and was able to strike him out looking at a slider down the middle. Finally, Bard battled Luke Voit, and was able to seal things with a ground out to second, handing the Rockies the second victory in as many nights over San Diego.

Up Next

The Rockies and Padres finish off their three-game set on Sunday before the Rockies hit the road again. That matchup will see San Diego send Blake Snell (0-3, 5.04 ERA) to the mound against Antonio Senzatela (2-3, 4.79 ERA).

First pitch is at 1:10pm MDT. See you then!