Desmond, Arenado homer to help Rockies beat Padres 5-2
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Colorado Rockies are starting to get their offense going at the end of a short West Coast swing.
Ian Desmond homered, doubled and drove in three runs, and Nolan Arenado went deep for the second straight game to back Antonio Senzatela in his season debut and lead the Rockies to a 5-2 victory against the San Diego Padres on Monday night.
The Padres came in with the NL's best record before losing their second straight. The Rockies, who began the day tied with Miami for the league's worst record, won consecutive games for just the second time this season.
Desmond, who came in hitting .140, had a two-run double in the second inning and homered to left in the seventh, his first.
Arenado homered to left-center with one out in the sixth, his second. Both long balls came off lefty Joey Lucchesi (2-2).
"I felt I had good at-bats," Arenado said. "I felt good yesterday, had some good at-bats. Today I had some good at-bats again. It's always nice to hit homers. Got a pitch up, was able to hit a mistake."
Manager Bud Black said the Rockies are being a little more patient at the plate. They won 4-0 at San Francisco on Sunday.
"A little bit better again tonight. I thought yesterday against (Derek) Holland up in San Francisco, better at-bats, sort of carried over tonight against this fella," Black said. "This fella's funky. He's got that deceptive delivery, a little life to his fastball, that changeup that's hard to pick up. Our guys did a nice job."
Senzatela (1-0) was recalled from a rehab assignment and reinstated earlier Monday. He began the season on the injured list with an infected blister on his right heel. He held San Diego to one run and six hits in 6 2/3 innings while striking out four and walking one.
His only costly mistake was allowing Franmil Reyes' opposite-field homer leading off the fourth, his fourth.
Wade Davis got one out for his first save of the season. He walked Luis Urias to put runners on first and second before striking out pinch-hitter Ian Kinsler.
Lucchesi allowed five runs and seven hits as he pitched seven innings for the first time in his two-year career. He struck out four and walked two.
"Going in maybe I felt a little timid in the first inning, then I was like, 'What's wrong with me?'" Lucchesi said. "Then I said, 'Let's get after it.' I was talking to myself, then something fired through (catcher Austin) Hedges. I started catching my rhythm, like all right, let's go. Unfortunately I had some bad breaks with those solo shots that killed me today. I know I went seven innings and at least that's one positive, saved our bullpen a bit. I want to keep going longer in the game. The last two games have been kind of bad realistically, but I'm all right. I'm going to get after it in my next game."
Wil Myers hit his 100th career homer leading off the ninth for the Padres, against Scott Oberg. It was his fourth this season.
"It's pretty cool to say you have 100 homers in the big leagues. Other than that, that's it," Myers said.
Myers said the Padres "missed some pitches that we should have hit" against Senzatela. "He left some balls over the plate that we didn't really take advantage of. Hit some balls right at guys, but that's the way it goes sometimes."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rockies: C Chris Iannetta was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right lat strain. Colorado selected the contract of C Drew Butera from Triple-A Albuquerque and recalled OF Noel Cuevas from Triple-A.
UP NEXT
Rockies: RHP Jon Gray (0-3, 4.19 ERA) pitches the finale of the two-game series. He is 8-3 with a 2.69 ERA in 15 career starts against San Diego.
Padres: Rookie LHP Nick Margevicius (1-1, 1.69) is scheduled to make his fourth start.
