The Rockies dropped their fifth straight series when they lost 8-2 to the San Diego Padres on Sunday afternoon. Just as in Saturday's game, the Rockies ran into trouble in the seventh inning. By the end of the inning, the game was already over for the Rockies.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Todd Helton hit his sixth home run of the season to close the gap to 3-2. Jason Hammel then came out for the top of the seventh, but he allowed three consecutive single after a leadoff foul out. After the third single scored a run, Jim Tracy went to Franklin Morales. But that only exacerbated the problem as he allowed an RBI double to Will Venable and left the game without recording an out.
Tracy then put Felipe Paulino in the game only to see Jason Bartlett double in the two men on base. Brad Hawpe then added an RBI single to close out the scoring. Morales and Paulino continue to pitch their way off the team.
Hammel (3-3) was charged with six runs, though the final two runs crossed the plate as inherited runners on Morales and Paulino. Mat Latos, his counterpart, went 5.2 innings allowed that Helton homer and an unearned run in the first inning when Eric Patterson committed a throwing error on a Troy Tulowitzki fielder's choice.
The Rockies will face the San Francisco Giants for a quick two-game series to start the new week. Clayton Mortenson and Tim Lincecum will pitch in the contest.
For more on the Rockies, visit Purple Row. To learn more about the Padres, head over to Gaslamp Ball.