Six pitchers combined on a six-hitter, while Jackson Merrill knocked in a run during a three-run fourth inning that lifted the San Diego Padres to a 3-1 win over the visiting Colorado Rockies on Wednesday.
Bulk reliever Griffin Canning (2-9) earned the win after tossing three shutout innings, yielding only one hit and striking out four. Opener Kyle Hart contributed 2 2/3 scoreless innings, permitting two hits and a walk with three whiffs.
Four relievers mopped up from there, with Mason Miller pitching the ninth to garner his 28th save in as many chances. It was San Diego’s fifth straight win, completing a sweep of the two-game series.
Rookie Gabriel Hughes (0-3) absorbed the loss, allowing six hits and three runs in five-plus innings while walking one and striking out two. It was a familiar result for Colorado, which fell to 1-14 in its last 15 games at Petco Park and lost all six games there this year.
Hughes mowed down nine straight after allowing a leadoff double to Fernando Tatis Jr. but ran into trouble in the fourth. Jake Cronenworth and Manny Machado singled to start the inning, followed by Hughes plunking Ty France to fill the bases.
Merrill poked a 2-2 changeup through the left side for a single that scored Cronenworth and Luis Rengifo’s groundout to first cashed in Machado. Gavin Sheets capped the inning with a sacrifice fly to right that plated France.
The Rockies got on the board in the seventh. Willi Castro bunted for a single to start the inning against Wandy Peralta and Tyler Freeman singled Castro to second. With two outs, Brett Sullivan grounded an RBI single to right that scored Castro.
Colorado got the tying run aboard to start the eighth when Cole Carrigg worked a walk but Jeremiah Estrada fanned the next three hitters to quash the threat. It was Estrada’s first game since going on the injured list June 5 with a knee injury.
Sullivan was the only player in the game with two hits.
