SAN DIEGO—Jordan Pacheco drove in four runs, including the go-ahead score in the 12th inning, and Michael Cuddyer tied a career high with four hits as the Colorado Rockies outlasted the San Diego Padres 8-6 on Saturday night.
The victory snapped the Padres’ four-game winning streak and ended the Rockies’ three-game skid.
Cuddyer singled off Joe Thatcher (0-3), San Diego’s sixth reliever, with one out in the 12th. He was sacrificed to second by Carlos Torres and came around to score on Pacheco’s third hit of the game, a single to left. Ramon Hernandez made it 8-6 when he singled home Pacheco.
Torres (1-0) got the victory with two scoreless innings. Rafael Betancourt, the Rockies’ fifth reliever, came on in the 12th to pick up his 16th save in 20 opportunities.
Both teams has game-saving catches in right field. The Rockies’ Tyler Colvin made a diving grab of a line drive by pinch-hitter Mark Kotsay and turned it into an inning-ending double play in the bottom of the ninth.
The Padres’ Will Venable, a defensive replacement, robbed Marco Scutaro of a potential go-ahead hit in the top of the 11th with a similar diving catch along the right-field line. It would have likely scored Dexter Fowler from second.
The Padres, who trailed 6-3 in the fourth, tied it at 6 in the bottom of the eighth on a two-out RBI single to left-center by Yasmani Grandal, who scored pinch-runner Cameron Maybin from second base. Carlos Quentin doubled down the right-field line off reliever Matt Belisle and Maybin came in to pinch-run for him.
Both starters—San Diego’s Kip Wells and Colorado’s Jeff Francis—struggled. Wells gave up six runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings, while Francis yielded five runs on eight hits in five innings.
The Padres took a 3-0 lead after two innings. Chase Headley had a two-run single in the first and Jesus Guzman hit his fourth homer of the season in the second.
The Rockies batted around in the fourth inning, scoring four runs on Pacheco’s two-run single and RBI singles by Hernandez and Josh Rutledge. Wells threw 42 pitches in the half-inning that lasted 27 minutes.
The Rockies knocked out Wells in the fifth on Colvin’s RBI single that scored Cuddyer, who had doubled. Cuddyer scored when Pacheco greeted reliever Nick Vincent with a double into the left-field corner making it 6-3.
Francis left after giving up two more runs in the bottom of the fifth on a triple by Guzman, an RBI double by Everth Cabrera and Chris Denorfia’s RBI single.
NOTES: Rockies LHP Jonathan Sanchez, acquired in a trade with the Kansas City Royals on Friday, pitched a bullpen session Saturday and will make his first start for his new team Monday in Arizona against the Diamondbacks. “It feels good coming back into the National League and being in the same division that I was two years ago,” said Sanchez, who pitched for the San Francisco Giants. “I know a little more about the league and I have pitched well in the past at Coors Field, but you never know what’s going to happen this time.” … Rockies C Wilin Rosario was listed as day-to-day after injuring an ankle Friday night. Manager Jim Tracy said Rosario “had his ankle taped and is a little tender today and we’ll see where he is at Sunday.” … Cabrera extended his Padres club record for consecutive stolen bases to begin a season with his 18th steal in the seventh inning. … Maybin missed a third straight start with wrist soreness. He came in to pinch-run for Quentin in the eighth. … RHP Ross Ohlendorf (3-0, 5.87) will pitch for San Diego in the third and final game of the series Sunday against LHP Christian Friedrich (5-7, 5.85)
