Padres slug 4 homers, overpower struggling Rockies

Manny Machado homered for the second straight game, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill and Bryce Johnson also went deep, and the host San Diego Padres beat the Colorado Rockies 11-3 on Saturday night.

Machado, Tatis, Elias Diaz and Luis Arraez finished with two hits each for San Diego (81-68). Arraez left the game after he was hit with a warmup throw as he jogged onto the field to field his position at the start of the ninth inning.

Dylan Cease (8-11) gave up a run on five hits and one walk and struck out six in six innings for the Padres.

Tyler Freeman doubled twice and singled and Jordan Beck had two hits for Colorado, which has lost 18 of its last 22 games. The Rockies (41-108) need just one win in their last 13 games to avoid tying the 2024 Chicago White Sox (41-121) for the most losses in the modern era.

Colorado took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Freeman doubled to lead off the game and scored on Beck's two-out single, but the Padres scored in each of the first four innings to take control.

Rockies starter Bradley Blalock loaded the bases in the bottom of the first with a single and two walks, and Ramon Laureano's sacrifice fly gave San Diego its first run. Tatis hit a two-run homer in the second to put the Padres ahead 3-1. It was his 22nd of the season.

Machado led off the third with his 25th homer, and Merrill hit a solo shot later in the frame, his 12th.

Blalock (1-5) left after allowing five runs on five hits and two walks over three innings.

The Padres continued to pad the advantage in the fourth against Antonio Senzatela, who got one out before yielding two singles wrapped around a walk to load the bases. Machado followed with a two-run single and, one out later, Laureano knocked in two more with a double.

Blaine Crim trimmed the lead with a two-run double in the eighth, but Johnson answered with a two-run shot in the bottom of the inning. It was his first of the season.

--Field Level Media