DENVER (AP) — Charlie Blackmon hit a tiebreaking three-run homer, Austin Gomber pitched six strong innings and the Colorado Rockies beat the San Diego Padres 5-3 on Tuesday night.
Blackmon’s 14th homer capped a four-pitch rally off right-hander Mike Clevinger that turned the game in the sixth inning. Connor Joe was hit by the first pitch of the inning, and Jose Iglesias dropped a single into right field on the third pitch. Blackmon then hit a changeup for a 392-foot homer on the fourth for a 4-1 lead.
“We kind of exploded there,” said Colorado third baseman Ryan McMahon, whose one out double KOd Clevinger two batters later.
Blackmon had two hits in his third straight multi-hit game. He is 7 for 16 with four extra-base hits and five RBIs in his last four games, and he already has one more homer this season than he had in 150 games a year ago.
“I practiced hitting more home runs this offseason,” Blackmon said before explaining. “I used to take more swings hitting balls to the opposite-field gap, which I think is important. But this offseason, I worked just as much on the pull gap as I did on the away gap.
“Pulling the ball is the best. In a perfect world, I would put the ball somewhere where I could pull it.”
Gomber (5-7) permitted one run and six hits. Daniel Bard pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 19th save in 21 chances.
“I wouldn’t say I had my best stuff, but the curveball was working,” said Gomber, who said he abides by a lesson learned from former St. Louis teammate Adam Wainwright. “He was adamant to all of the young guys to not get scared to throw the curveball here. That has always stuck with me.”
Clevinger (2-2) retired his first eight batters before Sam Hilliard doubled with two outs in the third. It was the Rockies’ only hit until they tied the game on Garrett…
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