DENVER (AP) - The at-bats in front of him were central to Daniel Murphy’s big night at the plate.
Charlie Blackmon homered to start a six-run inning, Murphy had four hits and 4 RBIs, and the Colorado Rockies hung on to beat San Diego 11-10 Saturday night in a game in which both the Padres’ Eric Hosmer and manager Andy Green were ejected.
“Traffic on the base paths, it really puts the opposing pitchers in adverse situations,” said Murphy, who came to the plate with runners on in four of his five plate appearances. “There were great at bats in front of me. It was a great offensive performance and the pitching staff did enough to get us a win today.”
Tony Wolters had a pair of hits, drove in two runs and threw out a base runner on an attempted steal of second to help quell an eighth inning rally by the Padres. Trevor Story also doubled and singled and drove in a run. Manny Machado hit a three-run homer for San Diego.
“The game we won tonight, we were on the other side of those a few times in the middle of the summer, so it was good to hang on,” Rockies manager Bud Black said.
Hosmer, upset over a check swing strike call in the Padres’ fifth inning, argued with third base ump Carlos Torres and was ejected. Green came out of the dugout and also had words with Torres before being thrown out.
“He threw me out because I told him, ’That was terrible,’” Hosmer said. “We’re grown men competing at the highest level, so if that’s the reason why he’s going to throw me out, I guess that’s it.”
The Padres grabbed an early lead on Wil Myers’ two-run double in the first before Colorado took command on Murphy’s first run-scoring single in the second followed by their big third inning. They sent 10 men to the plate and took advantage of a pair of fielding errors by the Padres.
Trailing 11-5 in the eighth, the Padres put together a five-run inning capped by Machado’s homer off Bryan Shaw, his 30th of the season. Machado became the 18th Padres player to have 30 home runs and 20 doubles in a season and the first since Myers in 2017.
Peter Lambert (3-6) went five innings and allowed five runs on five hits in snapping a drought that saw him go 0-6 with a 7.79 ERA over 15 starts after winning the first two starts of his career, both against the Chicago Cubs, on June 6 and 11.
Jesus Tinoco picked up his first career save, getting the last four outs. He did not allow a hit.
Eric Lauer (8-9) went 2 1/3 innings and allowed six runs ? four earned ? in extending his struggles at Coors Field, where he fell to 0-4 with an 18.81 ERA.
“A lot of pitches in the middle of the plate,” Green said. “I think he made some good pitches early in counts and then found himself in the middle of the plate. You don’t get too much movement here, nobody does. If you find yourself in the middle to a good offensive club, you get in trouble. That’s ultimately what we saw again today here.”
CAUGHT STEALING
Clinging to a one-run lead after San Diego’s five-run burst in the eighth, the Rockies got a tremendous throw from catcher Wolters to catch Travis Jankowski trying to steal second for the final out of the inning. Tinoco helped set up the throw by getting the pitch to Wolters quickly, allowing him to bounce up from his crouch and fire. “I’ve never seen anyone get rid of the ball that fast,” Tinoco said through an interpreter. “The minute I saw the ball in the air, I knew it was going to be an out because it was going so fast. I was already kind of walking off the mound and into the dugout.” Wolters has thrown out 19 baserunners this season.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rockies: LHP Kyle Freeland (left groin strain) threw his third bullpen since suffering injury Aug. 20. He threw about 40 pitches, and the Rockies remain hopeful he may be able to return to the mound before the end of this season. “From what I saw, he looked great,” Rockies manager Bud Black said before the game. “(Threw) all his pitches with great effort and intensity. He’s getting closer to a game. There’s maybe a step or two to take care of, but he’s going to pitch. He wants to pitch.”
UP NEXT
Padres: RHP Cal Quantrill (6-6, 5.12 ERA), making his 17th start of the season, will be trying to break a string that has seen him give up eight earned run in three straight outings. He’s one of five pitchers since 1908 to have given up eight or more earned runs in in three consecutive starts. Before the skid, Quantrill’s second-half ERA stood at 1.79, fourth best in the majors.
Rockies: RHP Chi CHi Gonzalez (1-6, 6.56 ERA) is coming off his first win as a member of the Rockies in which he pitched six innings of one-run ball in beating St. Louis.
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