Rockies bounce back from 21-0 throttling as Hunter Goodman finishes a single shy of cycle

DENVER — Rockies Report, Game 40:

ROCKIES BOTTOM LINE: In the previous eight games — including the first five of the homestand — everything went wrong for the Rockies. Sunday, it all went right as Colorado mauled the San Diego Padres, 9-3.

The win was quickly overshadowed by the postgame firing of manager Bud Black and bench coach Mike Redmond.

The hero at the plate was Hunter Goodman. Working in the cleanup spot as the designated hitter, he blasted the Rockies in front in the first inning with a 3-run homer to the left-field pavilion, bringing home Brenton Doyle and Jordan Beck to put Colorado in front.

In the third inning, Goodman expanded the lead with a triple to left field, bringing home Beck and Ryan McMahon to push Colorado’s lead to 5-1.

Goodman added a seventh-inning double, leaving him just a single shy of the cycle; he had a final chance in the eighth inning to complete the feat, but flew out to left field.

Goodman’s work and Colorado’s offensive outburst — 12 hits in all over the afternoon — came mostly at the expense of San Diego starter Nick Pivetta, who entered Sunday having yielded nine earned runs in his first seven starts this season. But then Coors Field happened; he lasted just four innings, yielding six runs — all earned.

Colorado improved to 7-33 with the win.

ROCKIES STARTER’S REPORT

In desperate need of a dominant start, Germán Márquez got it, working seven innings for the first time since Sep. 16, 2022 and delivering his first quality start since his opening appearance this season on March 31 at Philadelphia.

He decided to pound the strike zone early, and the tactic worked, as he successfully got ahead in counts and got quick outs Márquez required just 21 pitches on his first time through San Diego’s order.

After allowing two singles in the first four batters he faced, he mowed down the next 17 Padres before Gavin Sheets singled to right field in the top of the seventh inning.

During that 17-batter streak, Márquez reached ball three just once.

After Sheets’ single, Márquez found himself in trouble, as he walked Xander Bogaerts and hit Jake Cronenworth to load the bases. But on the next pitch, Márquez got Jason Hayward to ground into a double play, ending the threat and concluding Márquez’s day. He improved to 1-6.

BITS AND PIECES

IT WAS DECIDED FOR THE ROCKIES WHEN: Márquez got Heyward to ground into the double play to get out of trouble in the seventh inning.

ROCKIES NUMBER TO NOTE: 4 — Wins for the Rockies in four games played when they conclude homestands this season, making them 4-0 in this exact scenario … and 3-33 in all other games.

WHAT’S NEXT: Chase Dollander returns to the mound as Colorado opens a six-game road trip with a three-game series at Texas that begins Monday night. First pitch at Globe Life Field will be at 6:05 p.m. MDT.

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