Arenado homers, Blackmon catch helps Rockies top Padres
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Nolan Arenado hit his NL-leading 38th home run and Colorado center fielder Charlie Blackmon made a leaping catch Thursday to help preserve the Rockies' 4-3 win over the San Diego Padres.
Blackmon reached above the wall to rob pinch hitter Brett Wallace of a tying home run with one out.
Carlos Gonzalez hit his 37th homer for the Rockies and Daniel Descalso hit a tiebreaking shot leading off the eighth. Corey Dickerson also connected for Colorado.
Descalso homered off Joaquin Benoit (6-5), who hadn't pitched since Saturday because of back spasms.
Arenado has homered in eight of his 11 games in September. He leads the league with 108 RBIs.
Justin Miller (1-0) struck out the side in the seventh, and fanned all seven batters he faced in the series. John Axford closed for his 21st save in 26 chances.
Matt Kemp homered for San Diego and has reached base in a career-high 30 consecutive games.
The game was a makeup for a postponement on July 19, only the second rainout at Petco Park since it opened in 2004.
San Diego starter Tyson Ross allowed three runs and four hits over seven innings. He also hit a sacrifice fly.
Ross had given up just five home runs in 171 innings before the Rockies tagged him three times. He had gone 45 consecutive starts without allowing multiple home runs in a game.
Colorado starter Jorge De La Rosa exited after five innings, allowing three runs on six hits.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Padres: 1B Yonder Alonso (back) is unlikely to return this season. . OF Justin Upton (toenail) was held out of the lineup on Thursday but is expected to return on Friday.
UP NEXT
Rockies: RHP Chad Bettis (6-5, 4.95) will make his third start since coming off the disabled list, looking to improve upon his last outing in which he allowed four runs in 4 1-3 innings, as Colorado travels to Seattle. The Mariners will counter with RHP Hisashi Iwakuma (7-3, 4.03).
Padres: RHP Andrew Cashner (5-14, 4.11) takes the mound in San Francisco on Friday. He gave up allowed six runs over five innings in his last start at Dodger Stadium. The Giants counter with RHP Jake Peavy (5-6, 4.41).
