Padres continue power surge, complete four-game series sweep of Rockies
Eric Evelhoch
Host · Writer
The San Diego Padres continued to flex, as they matched their season high with three home runs to sweep the Colorado Rockies with a 7-2 win on Sunday afternoon at Petco Park.
Ty France knocked a trio of hits, including a double and his first home run of the season while scoring three times, while Manny Machado and Ramón Laureano drove in a pair of runs as the Padres (10-6) extended their winning streak to five games and swept the four-game series with Colorado (6-10). Since their opening home stand, San Diego has won eight of their last 10 games.
France led off the third inning with a solo home run, making no mistake with the second cutter he saw from reliever Valente Bellozo and crushing the knee-high delivery into the bullpen in center field on the first Military Sunday of the season. It was his first long ball for the Friars since bashing a two-run homer off then-Arizona’s Robbie Ray on Sept. 22, 2019.
Starter Nick Pivetta left the game after throwing a fastball for a strike to Edouard Julien in the top of the fourth inning. He was removed by manager Craig Stammen and head athletic trainer Mark Rogow after sitting the Rockies down in order after his first time through the lineup and throwing 46 pitches. The official announcement was elbow stiffness.
San Diego did additional damage when Machado converted Jackson Merrill’s single and stolen base with an opposite field RBI single in the fifth. After not driving a run in over the first eight games, Machado has knocked in nine over the past seven games.
Laureano added more insurance by cracking his team-leading fourth home run of the season in the sixth, a two-run shot to left field that plated France and moved him into the team lead for RBI. It was the seventh start for Laureano in the lead off spot, with the Padres going 6-1 having Razor at the top of the order.
Merrill squared up a low and inside four-seamer from Bellozo for a solo home run in the seventh inning. The Padres have had a home run in six straight games and knocked nine long balls in the series against the Rockies. San Diego had hit just seven over the fences in their first 12 games.
Kyle Hart stepped in and induced a 2-2 groundout, then set Colorado down in order for the inning. He retired the first two Rockies in the fifth before plunking Ezquivel Tovar and walking Brenton Doyle, then the Rockies put their two runs on the board when Brett Sullivan doubled.
Hart finished with 2 1/3 innings pitched and allowed one hit for two runs, with a walk and a strikeout. David Morgan came on and got a pair of strikeouts to end the sixth, finishing with 1 ⅔ hitless innings pitched and four strikeouts with a walk to earn his second win of the season. Padres pitchers matched their season-low of 2025 by holding the Rockies to two hits.
San Diego manufactured a run in the second, taking advantage of France leading off by poking a low and away sinker for a double to right-center off Chase Dollander. Bryce Johnson, who made his third start of the season, sacrificed to bunt him over so Freddy Fermin could hit a sac fly.
The Padres scored in the first inning for just the second time all season when Machado drove in Laureano with a sacrifice fly, after Laureano got aboard by wearing a fastball from Colorado opener Jimmy Hergert, who took his first loss of the season.
Wandy Peralta threw a scoreless eighth with a strikeout, and Bradlgey Rodriguez closed the game out by allowing a hit and striking out a pair in the ninth.
Colorado’s scheduled starter, lefty Kyle Freeland, did not make the start due to left posterior shoulder soreness.
Fernando Tatis Jr. made his second straight at second base, as Jake Cronenworth was given the day off.
The Padres will have an off day on Monday and are slated to send Michael King (1-1, 3.24 ERA) to open the series against the Seattle Mariners. The M’s will start right-hander Bryan Woo (0-1, 1.50 ERA) for the first game of the 2026 edition of the Vedder Cup, which begins on Tuesday, April 14 at 6:40 p.m. at Petco Park.
Last season the Mariners won all three games in San Diego, then won two of three in Seattle to claim the trophy guitar designed by Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder. The rivalry series supports the Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Partnership, learn more at ebresearch.org.
