Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado had been in an extended slump and may have been breaking out of it in a big way in a wild 10-9 win on Friday night over the Padres. Arenado was 2 for 5, entering the ninth inning with just one RBI single before launching a Joe Thatcher pitch over the wall to end the game. The NL West matchup was a classic Coors Field game, featuring 19 runs and 33 hits to accompany 11 different pitchers. The homer was Arenado’s first career walkoff win.
The Rockies wasted little time jumping out to a lead, scoring three times in the opening frame thanks to a Troy Tulowitzki single and Todd Helton double. Kyle Blanks immediately answered for the Padres when he hit a two-run homer off of Rockies’ starter, Jorge De La Rosa. Colorado remained relentless in the second, scoring five more times off of Padres’ starter, Edison Volquez, who lasted just 2.2 innings and gave up nine runs in total.
Despite a 9-3 advantage headed into the fifth, the Rockies would need to use their offensive portion of the ninth thanks mainly to a five run seventh inning featuring home runs from Carlos Quentin and Jedd Gyorko to tie the game at 9-9 (the Padres also had added a run in the fifth inning).
Matt Belisle, the final and easily the best Rockies’ pitcher, threw two scoreless innings and collected the win after Arenado lead off the bottom of the ninth.
With the win, the Rockies improve to 33-29 and right in the thick of a tight NL West. The Padres fall to 28-33, and lead only the Los Angeles Dodgers in the division.
