Rockies pull away late, earn series split with 7-3 win over Padres
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Chris Iannetta hit a go-ahead, two-run double in the seventh inning and the Colorado Rockies beat the last-place San Diego Padres 7-3 Sunday to salvage a split of their four-game series and stay within a half-game of the NL West lead.
The Rockies came into the series one-half game behind Arizona before losing the first two games. They snapped San Diego's four-game winning streak on Saturday night and then beat rookie Jacob Nix (2-3) on Sunday.
Arizona and the Los Angeles Dodgers were tied for the division lead going into Sunday's finale of their four-game series at Dodger Stadium.
Colorado, which lost to Arizona in the NL wild-card game last year, won for the third time in seven games.
With the score tied at 3, Nix faltered opening the seventh by allowing a leadoff single to Ian Desmond and walking Gerardo Parra before being lifted for fellow rookie Trey Wingenter. Desmond and Parra pulled off a double steal and Iannetta brought them both in with a double to the base of the fence in center. Charlie Blackmon singled with one out to bring in Iannetta.
That made a winner of Kyle Freeland (13-7), who allowed three runs and seven hits in six innings. He struck out three and walked two.
David Dahl homered in the eighth, his eighth.
Nix allowed five runs and five hits in six-plus innings, struck out four and walked two.
Freeland got into early trouble when he walked leadoff batter Freddy Galvis and allowed a single to left by rookie Luis Urias. He walked Eric Hosmer with one out and then allowed rookie Franmil Reyes' two-run single to center for a 2-1 lead.
Colorado got a sacrifice fly from Nolan Arenado in the first and a sac fly from Dahl in the fourth, and then tied the game in the sixth when DJ LeMahieu walked with one out and scored on Trevor Story's double to right.
UP NEXT
Rockies: LHP Tyler Anderson (6-7, 4.79) is scheduled to start Monday in the opener of a three-game series at San Francisco. The Giants will counter with LHP Madison Bumgarner (5-5, 2.68).
Padres: RHP Bryan Mitchell (0-3, 7.08) is scheduled to start Monday night in the opener of a two-game series at Arizona, marking his return to the rotation for the first time since early May. He was moved to the bullpen after struggling in his first seven starts and then missed 2 ½ months with an elbow impingement. Arizona is set to counter with RHP Zack Godley (14-7, 4.42).
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