Brendan Rodgers has said in his quiet voice more than once, “We’re going to get out of this.”
Tuesday night, the Rockies’ soft-spoken second baseman swung a big stick, blasting a fifth-inning grand slam to power the Rockies to a 7-4 victory over San Diego at chilly Coors Field.
Rodgers’ first career grand slam was undoubtedly fueled by frustration — his and his teammates’.
Colorado, which had lost eight of its last 10 games, had not gone deep in six consecutive games, one short of the franchise record. Rodgers entered the game hitting .194 with no home runs and just three RBIs. He was initially slotted to hit cleanup this season, but he hit in the eight-hole Tuesday night.
Rodgers has a quick, compact, powerful swing, but his timing’s been off this season. But not on starter Michael King’s 0-2 fastball Tuesday night. Rodgers launched the homer 421 feet, with a 105 mph exit, deep into the left-field bleachers. He paused for a couple of counts to admire his blast. Can you blame him?
The night began ominously for the Rockies. San Diego took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, marking the 24th time in Colorado’s first 24 games that it had trailed at some point. The Rockies joined the 1910 St. Louis Browns as the only clubs of the modern era (since 1900) to trail in their first 24 games. The Browns’ streak extended to 28 games before it ended.
But the Rockies’ hitters finally delivered, including left fielder Nolan Jones, who sliced a bloop RBI single to left to snap an 0-for-26 drought. Jones departed the game after the sixth inning with a stiff back.
Colorado starter Ryan Feltner continues to flash some promise, but that promise is tempered by inconsistency, hence his 5.68 ERA after five starts. The Padres bashed him for four runs on 10 hits in four innings, and Feltner departed with his team trailing 4-1.
But after Feltner left the mound, Colorado’s bullpen delivered five scoreless innings. Lefty Jalen Beeks mowed the Padres down for three hitless innings, walking one and striking out two. Justin Lawrence pitched the ninth and earned his first save of the season.
San Diego’s two-run first began with Feltner issuing a leadoff walk to Xander Bogaerts, something that’s never advisable. Fernando Tatis Jr. followed with a single and Jake Cronenworth added an RBI single. Jurickson Profar’s sacrifice fly scored Tatis.
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The Padres rocked Feltner for two more run in the third, combining Ha-Seong Kim’s two-out single and stolen base, Luis Campusano’s RBI double and Jackson Merrill’s RBI single.
Game 3 of the four-game series is scheduled for Wednesday night at Coors Field.
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