DENVER (AP) — Rookie Alan Trejo singled in the winning run in the 10th inning, highly touted prospect Ezequiel Tovar picked up hits on the first two pitches he saw in the big leagues, and the youthful Colorado Rockies stalled the San Diego Padres’ playoff progress with a 4-3 victory on Friday night.
Randal Grichuk homered and Yoanathan Daza added a two-run triple for the last-place Rockies, who started six rookies. They improved to 7-1 against the Padres at Coors Field and have won 14 of the past 15 meetings in Denver over the past two seasons.
Adrian Morejon (4-1) walked Charlie Blackmon intentionally to put two on with one out. Trejo then pulled a 94 mph pitch to left that scored automatic runner Garrett Hampson easily.
Juan Soto tied it with a solo home run in the eighth inning. Soto added an RBI groundout and Manny Machado had an RBI single for San Diego, which fell a half-game behind Philadelphia for the second wild card. The Padres' lead over Milwaukee for the final wild card was sliced to two games.
Daniel Bard (6-4) worked around a walk in the ninth, then got Soto to ground out with a runner on third to end the 10th.
Soto's 26th homer to straightaway center off Carlos Estévez traveled an estimated 440 feet.
Tovar’s call-up a day earlier provided the most excitement for the last-place Rockies in weeks.
“When he came (Thursday) into the clubhouse, I just sensed that his confidence was such that he’s ready for this.” manager Bud Black said.
Tovar singled up the middle on the first pitch he saw in his big league debut and singled again on the second pitch he faced for the Rockies. The 21-year-old Venezuelan went 2 for 4 and Colorado hopes he follows Troy Tulowitzki and Trevor Story in becoming the franchise's next star shortstop.
Tovar couldn't come up with José Azocar's grounder up the middle in the third that bounced off his glove for a single. The Padres went up 2-0 in the inning on Soto's RBI groundout and Machado's RBI single.
Rookie Ryan Feltner was sharp outside that, allowing two runs and five hits in five innings.
Steven Wilson made sure Tovar wouldn't go 3 for 3 on three pitches, bouncing a breaking ball into the left-handed batter's box in the sixth.
The Rockies, who had scored one run in the past two games, got on the board when Grichuk sent Sean Manaea's first pitch of the third into the left-field seats to make it 2-1. Colorado went up 3-2 when Daza tripled to center with two outs in the fourth, chasing Manaea.
The left-hander allowed three runs, six hits and three walks.
LATE SWITCH
The Padres announced about an hour before the game that Jorge Alfaro would replace Austin Nola at catcher. The team indicated Nola wasn't injured and manager Bob Melvin had simply changed his mind.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Padres: Melvin has been impressed with RHP Pierce Johnson, who hasn't allowed a hit in three appearances since coming off the injured list. “I think our bullpen is getting better and a little bit deeper,” he said.
Rockies: 1B C.J. Cron (bruised left hand) missed his second straight game after getting hit by a pitch. “He's still sore,” manager Bud Black said.
UP NEXT
Padres RHP Yu Darvish (15-7, 3.05 ERA), who hasn't allowed a run in three of his past four outings and has won his past five starts, faces struggling Rockies RHP Chad Kuhl (6-9, 5.48 ERA) on Saturday night.
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