It was the type of game that snuck up on the Padres in terms of its importance.
After surging out to a 4 1/2 game lead in the NL West on Sunday night, San Diego was in danger of giving back three games to a pair of divisional rivals in the course of a three-game home series. A home sweep at the hands of the Rockies would have put a damper on the optimism run rampant through America’s Finest City.
Optimism, resume your rampant run.
Every Padre reached base in a summer romp at Petco Park, as San Diego hammered Colorado 13-3 to salvage the finale of a three-game series. Scott Hairston (pictured) had 4 RBI, while Chris Denorfia and Oscar Salazar each reached base four times. Remarkably, San Diego’s offensive surge came in a game when Adrian Gonzalez was given the day off to rest.
“As soon as we came in the clubhouse after the game we were screaming ’same lineup!’,” said a grinning Jerry Hairston Jr., who contributed two RBI and two runs scored.
Postgame video interview: Jerry Hairston Jr.
The Padres (46-32) picked up just their third win in nine tries against the Rockies, but it came at a key time to prevent a hiccup from turning into a slide.
Read more and watch a postgame video interview with Clayton Richard after the jump:
“Most definitely,” said winning pitcher Clayton Richard on the need to avoid a three game divisional sweep, “Every game is important from here on out, but after the way the last two games went, it’s a testament to our team to come out and play the way we did today.”
Postgame video interview: Clayton Richard
A six-run Padres fourth inning blew a close game out of reach, allowing Richard (6-4) to work deep into the game for San Diego. The Padres’ innings leader, Richard struck out five of the first six batters he faced, finishing with a career high 10 strikeouts over seven innings. Richard gave up five hits and two runs, walking one.
“It was a lot of fun today,” said Richard, “Nick (Hundley) and Yorvit (Torrealba) called a great game, we had a great approach attacking the strike zone, and when you score runs the way we did today, it’s fun to pitch.”
The Padres took advantage of one of their favorite divisional punching bags to avoid a three game sweep. Rockies’ lefty Jeff Francis hadn’t beaten San Diego since 2007, and sported a lifetime 5-10 record and 5.15 ERA in 19 starts against the Padres.
On Wednesday, Francis (2-3) got off to both a shaky and painful start. Jerry Hairston Jr. and Chris Denorfia walked to start the first inning, and Scott Hairston followed with an RBI single up the middle to make it 1-0 Padres.
After a Nick Hundley double play, Chase Headley sizzled a line drive off Francis’ left arm, the ball caroming out past second base for an RBI single. Francis was examined by the Rockies’ training staff but remained in the game.
The Rockies quickly answered back in the second, thanks to a Jonathan Herrera two-out, two-run double, but went quiet from there against Richard.
San Diego took the lead for good in the 3rd on another well manufactured run. Denorfia was hit by a pitch with one away and advanced to second on a Scott Hairston groundout, scoring on Nick Hundley’s clean single up the middle.
Jeff Francis is checked by trainers after taking a line drive off his pitching arm
Then came the fourth, when Francis crumbled like a maple leaf left out in the sun to dry. The Canadian walked Oscar Salazar, then allowed an Aaron Cunningham single. Everth Cabrera’s bloop double down the right-field line scored one, and Richard followed with a line single to right, plating a second run.
When Hairston Jr. followed with a pitching wedge lob over first base that would have made Phil Mickelson blush with pride, a third run was in and Francis was headed to the showers. Scott Hairston’s three run double capped the inning, as Francis finished with a season worst eight earned runs allowed in 3+ innings.
San Diego tacked on four more runs in the 6th against relievers Franklin Morales and Manuel Corpas. Every Padre in the game either scored or drove in a run, and six of the starting nine did both.
The victory allowed the Padres to maintain a three game lead over the LA Dodgers, who swept San Francisco in the Bay Area. The Rockies fall five games off the pace while the Giants are a season worst 5 1/2 games back. San Diego now moves back out of division, where they are 31-19 this season. The Houston Astros are in town for a four game series starting Thursday night at 7:05pm. Jon Garland will face journeyman right-hander Brian Moehler.
This story will be updated later with Clayton Richard and Jerry Hairston Jr. video interviews.
NOTES: The Padres have had some unusual blowout lines at home this year. In fact, when breaking down their +68 run differential for the season, over half of the positive total (+37) has come from three home blowouts (17-2 over Atlanta on 4/12, 18-6 over the Mets on 5/31, and this game)…Nick Hundley was removed from the game after the fifth inning for precautionary reasons. He felt dizziness after taking a foul ball off his mask an inning earlier…Bud Black celebrated his 53rd birthday today…Summer Camp Day brought a youthful color to the announced attendance of 24,519.
Craig Elsten -
Chris Ello -
Chainsaw -
