The Padres staked Mike Clevinger to a three-run lead in the first inning and then got out of the way for a while.
That's not nearly as good as it sounds, but it was good enough to get the Padres a 4-1 victory over the Rockies on Monday night at Petco Park.
The Rockies scored their run in the sixth inning on a double, single and sacrifice fly before Clevinger ended the inning with two strikeouts and pitched a perfect seventh. It was his second straight start completing seven innings, and he has allowed four runs in 20 innings over his past three starts.
Nick Martinez got the next four outs before Luis Garcia earned his second save in two games by getting the final two. Garcia will move back to the eighth inning when Josh Hader arrives Tuesday after being acquired in a Monday trade.
As they wait to find out whether the front office adds a potent bat to their often-impotent lineup by Tuesday's trade deadline, the Padres showed a little of what they claim they can be offensively and then more of what they actually have been.
Jurickson Profar led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run — his third straight game with a homer. Manny Machado followed with a double, and Jake Cronenworth walked. A groundout by Luke Voit moved both runners up. Machado scored on Wil Myers' groundout before Nomar Mazara followed with a grounder that hit first base and ricocheted toward the mound, allowing him to reach safely and Cronenworth to score.
The inning ended when Ha-Seong Kim, who walked, was picked off at first base by catcher Elias Diaz. Rockies starter Antonio Senzatela allowed just two more hits in making it through six innings.
Trent Grisham hit a solo homer off Carlos Estevez in the seventh.
The Rockies arrived in San Diego for five games in four days 11 games below .500 but with eight victories in 11 games against the Padres.
____
