DENVER (AP) — Xander Bogaerts had a season-high three hits, Matt Waldron gave up one run in six innings and the San Diego Padres beat the Colorado Rockies 5-2 on Wednesday night.
“Getting ahead was the name of my game today,” Waldron said. “(Catcher Kyle Higashioka) and I executed well and the offense did what they do. It’s awesome. It was a fun win. Hopefully, we can keep it rolling.”
Ha-Seong Kim and Jackson Merrill had two RBIs to help the Padres beat the Rockies for the 11th time in their past 14 meetings. Kim had two hits, including a bloop double to right field that drove in the game’s first two runs and spurred a four-run first inning.
“When (Colorado starter) Ty (Blach) is on, he’s hitting his spots,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “The first inning, he didn’t. Then the baseball got him with the blooper. Really good pitch to Kim and then it’s just the little dorker right down the right field line. That’s baseball.”
Waldron (1-2) rebounded from his worst outing of the season, a loss against Toronto in which he allowed five runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. With four runs on the board before he took the mound for the first time, Waldron got some much-needed run support after San Diego scored just seven runs in his previous four starts.
“Credit goes to Waldron,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “He was very, very good. All pitches working. He mixed it in masterfully and had command of it. It was really filthy.”
Robert Suarez picked up his ninth save of the season, retiring the Rockies in order on seven pitches.
The multi-hit outing was the second in the past four games for Bogaerts, who entered Wednesday night batting just .198.
The game was the 25th consecutive to start this season in which the Rockies have trailed at some point. They’re only the second team to reach that mark since 1900, joining the 1910 St. Louis Browns.
In his first start of the season, Blach (3-4) took the loss for the Rockies, giving up four runs and five hits in five innings.
“I think I had a pretty good feel in the first inning,” Blach said. “I made a lot of really good pitches with two strikes. They battled and fouled them off. It’s just kind of one of those things where I wouldn’t really change anything.”
Ryan McMahon and Elias Díaz each hit solo home runs to center field for Colorado, which left six runners on base, including three in the fourth inning when it had the bases loaded with just one out before a pop-up and groundout ended the threat.
The Rockies have been outscored 35-7 in the first inning this season, the most runs allowed by any team in the first inning. It finished with two runs or fewer for the eighth time in the past 10 games, despite five of those contests taking place at hitter-friendly Coors Field.
