DENVER (AP) — Jacob Stallings drove in the tiebreaking run with a single in the sixth inning, and the Colorado Rockies beat the San Diego Padres 3-2 on Sunday.
Colorado took the season series from the Padres 8-5 and ended their streak of series victories. San Diego had won eight series in a row to tie the franchise record.
Manny Machado homered for the Padres, who are 20-6 in the second half. Four of those losses have come against the teams with the two worst records in the National League – Colorado and Miami.
Angel Chivilli (1-1) got the victory in relief and Victor Vodnik walked a batter in the ninth before nailing down his ninth save.
Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove made his second start since coming off the injured list last Monday. He got his 1,000th career strikeout when he punched out Sam Hilliard leading off the fifth. Musgrove followed that with a walk to Jordan Beck and was relieved by Bryan Hoeing (2-3) after 4 1/3 innings and 73 pitches.
“Joe was good,” manager Mike Shildt said. “He was sharp, he was crisp. We were pleased to get him to the fifth. Did more than his part, and his 1,000th career strikeout. Nice accomplishment for Joe.”
San Diego’s bullpen couldn’t keep the game tied after Musgrove and Rockies starter Bradley Blalock each gave up a run.
It was Blalock’s second start since being acquired from Milwaukee on July 27, and his first time pitching at Coors Field.
“It definitely lived up to it, but not the longball,” Blalock said of pitching in Denver's thin air.
Brenton Doyle led off the bottom of the sixth with a triple and scored on a single by Stallings. Right fielder David Peralta misplayed the hit, allowing Michael Toglia to reach third and then score on Hilliard’s groundout that made it 3-1.
Toglia doubled with two outs in the eighth to extend his hitting streak to 11 games.
Machado, who had four hits Saturday night, led off the eighth inning with his 19th home run, the only hit allowed by the Colorado bullpen in 3 1/3 innings.
Peralta had an RBI double in the fourth. Aaron Schunk doubled home a run for the Rockies in the third after a 12-pitch at-bat.
“I felt like I was up there for an hour and when I got to second I looked at Joe and he just kind of smiled at me,” Schunk said. “That’s probably one I’ll never forget.”
