Brendan Rodgers hit a grand slam in the fourth inning, putting the Colorado Rockies ahead to win 7-4 against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night. This victory was only their second in the last 10 games.
Before Rodgers’ grand slam, the Rockies were behind 4-1. His home run, the first grand slam of his career, landed in the left-field bleachers off a fastball from Michael King. Rodgers hadn’t hit a home run since Sept. 29, with all four of his homers last year coming within 10 days.
Rockies manager Bud Black commented, “Bases loaded, 0-2 count. We’re going, ‘Come on, B!’ And he got the head on a fastball. Big exhale. The dugout was pumped. That was big, and you hope that these types of moments can give us a jumpstart.”
Rodgers expressed relief at delivering at that crucial moment, hoping to lift his struggling team.
He said, “You know, (Ryan McMahon) came up to me and said, ‘That’s one of the biggest swings of the year.’ And it kind of felt like it, being down early and then getting guys on base in that inning.
I got down in the count, and then I took a good short, two-strike swing. It was a good feeling.”
King pitched 3 2/3 innings, allowing six runs — four earned — along with eight hits and three walks, before leaving after a bases-loaded walk to Elehuris Montero.
Ezequiel Tovar contributed with an RBI single in the fifth inning for the Rockies, breaking their six-game losing streak against the Padres.
Nolan Jones broke a 0-for-26 streak with an RBI single in the second inning. However, he left the game after six innings due to back stiffness.
