Gonzalez belts two homers to carry Rockies past Padres
SAN DIEGO -- Carlos Gonzalez stroked a pair of two-run homers and Nolan Arenado added one, too, as the Colorado Rockies beat the San Diego Padres, 10-3, on Sunday to snap a four-game losing streak.
Gonzalez, who had five RBIs, hit his shots in the second and ninth innings, both traveling more than 400 feet.
Arenado, who had three hits and reached base five times, smacked his league-leading 18th homer in the fifth.
Right-hander Jon Gray (4-2) worked seven innings, charged with two runs on five hits, with a walk. Gray, a former first-round pick, had a career-high 12 strikeouts. He was impressive from the get-go in earning his third straight win as he struck out the initial five Padres he faced.
According to Elias Sports Bureau, Gray is the second pitcher in franchise history to strike out the first five batters. Bruce Ruffin did it for Colorado on June 13, 1993 against the Astros.
Luis Perdomo (1-2) struggled in his second career start. He was chased after 4 2/3 innings when surrendering six runs on eight hits and a walk. Perdomo, a Rule 5 Draft pick, got the spot start with the team juggling the rotation after trading James Shields to the Chicago White Sox on Saturday.
Wil Myers stroked his 10th home run on the year in the sixth, pulling the Padres to within 6-2.
But the Rockies tacked on two runs in each of the seventh and ninth innings as the Padres failed to notch their first three-game series sweep of the season.
Perdomo, who was making his second career start, saw his luck run out in the fifth when the Rockies ran him from the game.
Gray opened with a single and scored when Trevor Story's double was batted around in the corner by left fielder Travis Jankowski. Arenado followed with his league-leading 18th homer, a two-run shot that put the Rockies ahead 6-1 and sent Perdomo to the showers.
Myers' RBI double pulled the Padres to within 3-1 in the fourth. Myers chased in Jon Jay, after he opened the inning with a single.
The Rockies pushed their lead to 3-0 in the third and the Padres might have got off easy.
Gonzalez recorded his third RBI when grounding into bases-loaded force out to score Charlie Blackmon, who reached on a single. He advanced to third on Story's single.
With runners on the corners, Mark Reynolds cracked a shot down the third base line but Brett Wallace, who is not regarded as a plus defender, made a dazzling play to flag down the grounder and rifle a strike to Alexi Amarista for a force at second.
Colorado struck early, when Gonzalez smoked a two-run homer in the first. After Arenado's two-out single, Gonzalez redirected Perdomo's 88 mph change up 444 feet over the center-field fence for his 12th home run on the year.
NOTES: The game's late start was because of the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon. ... Padres manager Andy Green said RHP Erik Johnson, who was acquired from the Chicago White Sox for RHP James Shields, will take Shields' place in the rotation and start Friday in Colorado. ... LF Melvin Upton Jr. was out of the San Diego lineup for a day off, replaced by Travis Jankowski. ... Colorado LHP Boone Logan (left shoulder inflammation) will join the club and be activated Monday in Los Angeles. He was out since May 18. ... Rockies C Tony Wolters (concussion) continues to make progress.