Short-handed Padres blast Rockies in Senzatela’s return from injured list
May 12, 2021, 6:36 AM
The Rockies and Padres were rained out on Monday. On Tuesday, the Rockies faced a Padres team that lost star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr., as well utility infielders Jurickson Profar and Jorge Mateo, prior to the game due to a positive COVID-19 test for Tatis Jr. and contact tracing protocols for Profar and Mateo.
The Padres also had to pull first baseman Eric Hosmer and outfielder Will Myers midway through the game after both had positive tests for COVID-19 revealed after the game began.
Not that it mattered; the Padres still obliterated the Rockies, 8-1, as third baseman Manny Machado picked up the slack, knocking in five runs on a night when Colorado starter Antonio Senzatela returned form the injured list.
Senzatela was serviceable through five innings, allowing a pair of runs, but was pulled as a decisive sixth inning spiraled out of control for the Rockies.
“I like to attack the zone, but in the fourth, fifth, sixth innings, I threw too many balls on the first pitch and I got behind,” Senzatela explained. “I need to figure out quickly what I need to do to be in the strike zone.”
But while Senzatela took the loss to drop to 1-4 with a 5.97 ERA on the season, manager Bud Black was simply pleased to see him healthy again.
“It’s good to have him back. His arm felt good, just felt fine,” Black said. “So, you know, we didn’t have much of a sixth (inning), but he kept us in the game through five.”
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NEXT UP: Rockies (12-23, 5th in NL West) vs. Padres (20-16, 2nd in NL West) | Wednesday, May 11 at 1:10 p.m. and 4:10 p.m. | Game 1 — COL: Jon Gray (4-2, 3.12 ERA) vs. SD: Yu Darvish (3-1, 2.27 ERA). Game 2 — COL: Austin Gomber (2-4, 6.35 ERA) vs. SD: Blake Snell (1-0, 4.15 ERA).
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NOTES
• The Rockies will play a traditional doubleheader on Wednesday to make up for Monday’s rainout. Of course, “traditional” is an imprecise term; though fans will get to see both games for the price of one ticket, Major League Baseball’s seven-inning rule in doubleheaders remain in effect.
• The Rockies have lost the last six games to the Padres, dating back to Aug. 30, 2020. They’ve been outscored 47-11 in those six.
• Only three Rockies had hits in Tuesday’s loss, first baseman Connor Joe, catcher Dom Nunez, and pinch-hitter Yonathan Daza. The rest of the Rockies’ lineup went 0-for-20.
• C.J. Cron was placed on the 10-day injured list with a lower-back strain, retroactive to May 7. Cron’s placement on the injured list gave the Rockies room to activate Antonio Senzatela, who started Tuesday’s game. Cron, 31, has been one of the Rockies’ most productive hitters, sporting a .290 average with five home runs and 15 RBI this season.
• Tyler Kinley had a disastrous outing after receiving start Antonio Senzatela; Kinley allowed four earned runs on one hit and a pair of walks in only 2/3 of inning as his ERA ballooned to 6.75.
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THE FINAL WORD
“Every pitcher wants to throw strike one and keep going, and be on the attack. It just didn’t happen for him tonight.” — Manager Bud Black, on starter Antonio Senzatela.
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STARTING LINEUP
LF Raimel Tapia
CF Garrett Hampson
RF Charlie Blackmon
SS Trevor Story
3B Ryan McMahon
1B Connor Joe
C Dom Nunez
2B Alan Trejo
SP Antonio Senzatela
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INJURY WATCH
• Kyle Freeland (strained left shoulder) was placed on the 10-day IL on Apr. 1. He has been throwing bullpen sessions and is expected back in May. Freeland will start for Triple-A Albuquerque on May 15.
• C.J. Cron (strained lower back) was placed on the 10-day IL on May 10, retroactive to May 7.
• Carlos Estevez (strained right middle finger) was placed on the 10-day IL on May 3, retroactive to April 30.
• Brendan Rodgers (strained right hamstring) was placed on the 10-day IL on Apr. 1. He has been practicing and could potentially return in early May.
• Chris Owings (left thumb surgery) was placed on the 60-day IL in mid-April and will likely be out until the All-Star break.
• Scott Oberg (blood clots) had surgery prior to the end of Spring Training. He was placed on the 60-day IL on Mar. 27 and his season is in doubt.
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Shawn Drotar is the host of “The Fan Late Night with Shawn Drotar;” weeknights from 10:00 p.m. to midnight — only on 104.3 The Fan. Follow him on Twitter at @sdrotar
