Denver, CO (Sports Network) – Carlos Gonzalez and Melvin Mora belted home runs in support of Jason Hammel’s 6 1/3 sturdy innings in Colorado’s 4-2 win over San Diego in the middle test of a three-game series.
Brad Eldred added a homer and Ryan Spilborghs chipped in with two hits and a run scored for the red-hot Rockies, who have won six straight and 10 of their last 12.
Hammel (7-3) earned his career-best sixth straight winning decision by limiting the Padres to two runs on five hits and a pair of walks while fanning four for Colorado, which is 14-3 at home since June 11. Huston Street retired the side in order in the ninth to earn his fifth save of the season.
Wade LeBlanc (4-7) absorbed the loss after permitting four runs on nine hits over 5 2/3 innings, while walking two and fanning five for the struggling Padres, who have lost four out of five.
Mora smacked a leadoff home run, his first of the year and first with the Rockies, in the second to get the scoring started.
Gonzalez continued his torrid pace with a solo clout the opposite way to left field with two outs in the third. He has hit a long ball in seven of his last 12 games, and in four out of five against San Diego since June 28.
Eldred continued the long ball trend with a two-out, two-run homer the other way to right-center in the sixth to make it 4-0.
Hammel and Barmes followed with singles to right field to chase LeBlanc from the game. Edward Mujica took over and got Dexter Fowler to ground out to end the frame.
The Padres finally got on the board in the seventh when Yorvit Torrealba led off with a single and scored when Aaron Cunningham doubled just out of the reach of Gonzalez in left-center. Everth Cabrera delivered a one-out base hit past a diving Eldred at first to plate Cunningham to slice the lead in half and end Hammel’s outing.
Matt Belisle came on and induced pinch-hitter Tony Gwynn into an inning-ending double play. The right-hander recorded the first out in the eighth and gave way to southpaw Joe Biemel.
Chase Headley flied out for the second out of the frame before Adrian Gonzalez was robbed of a home run on a leaping catch in front of and over the left field wall by Carlos Gonzalez.
Hammel’s last lost came on May 21 to Kansas City…He is 6-0 with three no- decisions since then with two wins over the Friars…Eldred’s homer was his first in the big leagues since April 25, 2007 off Houston’s Matt Albers as a member of the Pirates…Carlos Gonzalez extended his hitting streak to seven games during which he has 15 hits…The Rockies produced a dozen hits marking the ninth straight game they have collected at least 11 hits to match a franchise record established between April 6-14, 1998…Cunningham extended his hitting streak to a career-best nine games.