Manny Machado homers as Padres beat Rockies at Coors Field
By JACK MAGRUDER
Associated Press
DENVER (AP) — Manny Machado, Jake Cronenworth and C.J. Abrams hit 400-foot homers, and the San Diego Padres stopped a 10-game losing streak at Coors Field with a 6-5 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Monday night.
Cronenworth had three hits, including a 410-foot solo homer in the third inning. Machado’s 446-foot solo homer made it 3-1 in the seventh, and Abrams’ three-run drive in the eighth traveled 427 feet for a 6-2 lead.
It was Abrams’ second homer in his first big league season.
“I was trying to go the other way with that sinker, and he threw me a curveball,” he said. “I reacted and got my hands to it. ‘Short to it, long through it’ is what my dad used to tell me. Stay quick to the ball and swing at my pitches.”
Padres left-hander Sean Manaea (4-4) gave up five hits in 6 1/3 innings, departing after Randall Grichuk’s homer got the Rockies within 3-2 in the seventh. Manaea struck out five and walked one in his second victory since April 18, a span of 13 starts.
Connor Joe and Charlie Blackmon hit two-out RBI doubles in the ninth before Taylor Rogers got C.J. Cron to ground out for his 24th save in 29 chances.
“It got a little bit dicey,” San Diego manager Bob Melvin said. “A ‘W’ is a ‘W,’ so that streak is broken, right? This is a good place to hit.”
The Padres had lost 10 of 14. They began the night eight games behind the idle Los Angeles Dodgers, the furthest they had been behind in the NL West this season.
San Diego’s lineup responded after struggling in the final two games of a weekend series against San Francisco, when the Padres had nine hits while being outscored 15-1.
With Cronenworth hitting leadoff for the first time since June 25, they had 15 baserunners — 10 hits and five walks.
“When a team has your number, you have to stop that,” Manaea said. “A perfect way to bounce back and get this thing rolling,”
Abrams connected against rookie right-hander Jake Bird, who brought a 1.69 ERA into the game.
“That’s the situation I want to be in,” Bird said. “I feel I belong there. I had just thrown (Abrams) five fastballs in a row, and my curveball is a pretty good ground ball pitch and strikeout pitch. I thought at that time it would be a good pitch to throw, maybe get weak contact. Didn’t turn out that way, but I’m confident in that pitch and I’m OK getting beat on that pitch.”
Colorado right-hander Jose Ureña (0-1) gave up two runs and seven hits in six innings in his second start with the Rockies after signing a minor league deal in June. He yielded one run and five hits in 6 1/3 innings against the Dodgers in his first start on Wednesday.
BRYANT ON PATERNITY LIST
Colorado slugger Kris Bryant was placed on the paternity list. His wife, Jessica, is expecting twins.
Bryant is batting .340 with four homers and six RBIs in 12 games since being reinstated from the injured list June 27.
HOME RUN DERBY CANDIDATE
Cron said he would consider participating in the All-Star Home Run Derby if asked, and he has a champion in manager Bud Black.
“I’m all in,” Black said when asked if he would be OK with Cron joining the field. “We’ll watch it. And turn the volume up. I think he’d win it. I’m going on record. He’s got raw power. He’s a home run hitter.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: SS Fernando Tatis Jr. (left wrist) was expected to see hand specialist Dr. Don Sheridan on Monday. Test results were unavailable. Tatis, who signed a 14-year, $340 million contract before the 2021 season, has not played after getting hurt in a motorcycle accident in December. … OF Wil Myers (knee) is scheduled to DH at Class A Lake Elsinore on Tuesday before progressing to the outfield. … OF Jurickson Profar (neck) is doing baseball activities and appears on track to return this week, Melvin said. … RHP Reiss Knehr was recalled from Triple-A El Paso, and RHP Dinelson Lamet was optioned to El Paso.
Rockies: RHP Antonio Senzatela (shoulder) is scheduled to throw five innings and 70-75 pitches in a rehab start for Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday. … Cron (left wrist) and Iglesias (neck) were back in the lineup after missing two games. … OF Sam Hilliard was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque when Bryant was placed on the paternity list.
UP NEXT
Padres RHP Mike Clevinger (2-1, 3.34 ERA) is to face Rockies LHP Austin Gomber (4-7, 6.46 ERA) in the second game of the four-game series. Clevinger has split his last two starts while going a season-long six innings in each. The Rockies have won both of Gomber’s starts since he returned to the rotation on July 2.
