McMahon, Márquez lead Rockies to 4-2 win over Padres
Colorado Rockies' Sam Hilliard, left, celebrates with Jose Iglesias, right, after crossing home plate on a two-RBI double by Ryan McMahon against the San Diego Padres during the eighth inning of a baseball game Sunday, June 12, 2022, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Mike McGinnis)
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Some nice pitching, hitting and defense carried the Colorado Rockies to a big win over the San Diego Padres that completed a 4-3 West Coast trip for the NL West’s last-place team.
Ryan McMahon hit a go-ahead, two-run double with two outs in the eighth inning and Germán Márquez pitched seven strong innings to lead the Rockies to a 4-2 victory Sunday. Add in Yonathan Daza reaching above the left field wall to rob Kim Ha-seaong of a home run, and was a nice day overall for the Rockies.
The Rockies won consecutive games to split the four-game series with the Padres, who played a second straight game without manager Bob Melvin. He went into COVID-19 protocols Saturday night along with bench coach Ryan Christenson before the second game of a doubleheader. Quality control coach Ryan Flaherty managed the Padres again.
The Padres said Melvin and Christenson were not going to fly with the team to Chicago. Also remaining in San Diego were starter Mike Clevinger and reliever Adrian Morejon, who went on the COVID-19 injured list Saturday.
San Diego’s Manny Machado had two singles, leaving him two hits shy of 1,500.
With the score tied at 2 and two outs in the eighth, McMahon doubled into the right field corner off Luis García (4-3) to bring in Sam Hilliard and José Iglesias. C.J. Cron and Iglesias hit consecutive one-out singles and Hilliard pinch-ran for Cron.
“It was big for Mac,” manager Bud Black said. “You know how he feels about this team and his responsibility. That was big for him. It was a really good swing on a split-finger pitch that he dropped the head and barrel. That’s going to make the flight a little easier for all of us.”
McMahon said he’s been “due for a long time, I’m just glad one finally found the ground. Nothing feels better than coming through for your teammates, keeping the game from going extras and giving your team the lead late the game.”
Daniel Bard struck out the side in the ninth, including Machado, for his 13th save.
Márquez (3-5) held the Padres to two runs and six hits while striking out six and walking none.
The right-hander faced the minimum 12 batters through four innings before Luke Voit drove his second pitch of the fifth an estimated 438 feet onto the top balcony of the Western Metal Supply Co. Building in the left field corner to pull San Diego to 2-1. It was Voit’s sixth homer of the season and the 29th shot onto the top deck since Petco Park opened in 2004.
Eric Hosmer tied it at 2 with a sacrifice fly in the seventh that brought in Machado, who was aboard on a leadoff single.
“Everything was working,” Márquez said. “I was back in the zone with the fastball and my breaking ball was good today. I feel that is the point, always attack.”
Black said he was happy with the pitching on this trip, which included taking two of three at San Francisco.
“The bullpen did their job, starting pitching did their job and that’s what it takes,” Black said. “The strength of our team is the foundation of our starting pitching and their ability to keep us in games. I think you saw that on this trip against two very good teams.”
Daza made a spectacular leaping catch to rob Kim Ha-seong of a homer leading off the sixth. Daza also had three singles and scored a run.
“Like I say all the time, I’m playing for my pitcher,” Daza said. “I got a chance to make a good play and it feels amazing.”
Said Márquez: “It was unbelievable, man. Oh my god. I have to buy him dinner. It was an amazing play.”
The Rockies touched lefty Blake Snell for two runs in the fourth on Iglesias’ one-out RBI single followed by Randal Grichuk’s sacrifice fly.
Snell retired the first two Rockies batters in the fifth before loading the bases on two singles and a walk. He got out of the jam when Iglesias hit into a force.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rockies: Placed RHP Tyler Kinley on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Thursday with a right elbow ulnar nerve injury, and recalled RHP Chad Smith from Triple-A Albuquerque.
UP NEXT
Rockies: RHP Antonio Senzatela (2-3, 4.83) is scheduled to start Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game series against Cleveland.
Padres: RHP Yu Darvish (5-3, 3.61) is scheduled to start Monday night in the opener of a four game series at the Chicago Cubs, who will counter with LHP Justin Steele (1-5, 4.79).
