PHOENIX — Six unanswered runs were not enough to come from behind as Arizona had its 15-game home winning streak snapped by the San Diego Padres on the 10th Anniversary of 9/11.
San Diego got their third win this season at Chase Field as they piled on the runs early against Diamondbacks starter, Josh Collmenter. He lasted just four-innings in which he allowed seven hits, surrendering six runs.
Nick Hundley got things going for the Padres as he led-off the second-inning with a double, advancing later on Anthony Rizzo’s groundout to first. James Darnell then put San Diego on the board with his one-out RBI-single to right.
The very next inning, Wade LeBlanc singled and Cameron Maybin’s ground-rule double put the Padres in prime position to add more runs with runners in scoring position and no outs in the third. Chris Denorfia then hit a grounder to the shortstop, but instead of being thrown out at first, Denorfia reached safely as LeBlanc was thrown out at the plate. San Diego now found themselves with runners at the corners and one-out, with Arizona only needing a groundball to escape the inning.
Jesus Guzman kept the inning alive with a shot to left that scored Maybin, as Guzman and Denorifa both advanced into scoring position, avoiding any possible chance of a double-play for a time being. Hundley’s walk loaded the bases, but also applied the force out at every base. However, a second walk allowed a run to be walked in as San Diego took a 3-0 lead, and very quickly a 4-0 lead through three on Darnell’s sacrifice fly.
In the fifth, Hundley completed his 3-for-4 performance sending a two-run blast into the leftfield bleachers, putting the Padres up 6-0. They would extend that lead a run further as Guzman’s two-out single brought in Maybin for a seven-run lead.
But, before the Padres could end the sixth, Arizona was right back in this game scoring five-run in the inning as they cut their deficit to two-runs.
Henry Blanco broke the shutout, hitting a solo home run to the fans in left. Three of the next five batters reached due to singles and a walk to load the bases for Chris Young with two-outs. Young brought a pair of runs home, doubling to leftfield. Collin Cowgill followed by driving in another pair of runs on his single to center.
Blanco again came up big, leading off the seventh with a single and taking second after Geoff Blum was hit by a pitch. Roberts force out groundball put runners at the corners with Justin Upton at-bat. But, not even the MVP candidate could do anything more than an RBI-groundout.
Arizona did not get another hit the rest of the game as they dropped their third of their last sixteen. With an 8 ½-game lead in the division, Arizona is just a win away from eliminating the Rockies and their magic number now sitting at 8. The last weekend series of the season with the Giants may not have any significance as Arizona could be celebrating an NL West crown with their fans next week when they host the Pittsburgh Pirates.
