The Rockies fell behind the San Diego Padres in the late innings Friday night. And, well, you know what that means.
A surreal ninth-inning rally capped off by a walkoff home run? A five-hour marathon won by the home team? This is, after all, the wildest homestand of the season, if not several seasons.
It couldn’t happen again. But, of course, it did.
This time, the Rockies didn’t wait until deep into the 11th hour to stage their rally du jour. Ian Stewart’s third career grand slam — his second homer of the night — capped a five-run seventh inning in a 10-8 win over the NL West leaders.
“I just think that ever since we won that game against the Cardinals, when we were down by all those runs, that gave us confidence that we can feel like we’re never out of a game, regardless of what inning it is,” Stewart said. “Whatever that was, a fluke or luck or whatever you want to call it, I’m sure we’re not going to feel like we’re out of a game the rest of the year.”
Said manager Jim Tracy: “Offensively, we’re gaining and getting more and more of the offense we thought we had coming out of spring training. . . . When (Stewart) gets going, he can carry a team.”
The Padres’ bullpen, largely a collection of low-budget castoffs from other clubs, led the majors with a 2.73 ERA. As in, giving them a lead in the late innings is no way to go about stretching a winning streak.
But the Rockies did it anyway, the third time in four games they had rallied to win after trailing by at least three runs in the seventh inning or later. The win, the Rockies’ fifth straight, kept alive their hopes of sweeping the Padres and tying them atop the division standings on the final day before the all-star break.
The Padres took an 8-5 lead into the bottom of the seventh before consecutive singles by Jonathan Herrera, Carlos Gonzalez and Jason Giambi sent Ryan Webb to the showers in favor of Luke Gregerson. He walked Miguel Olivo but struck out Brad Hawpe to come within an out of escaping a bases-loaded jam.
It never came as Stewart sent a drive down the left-field line that sneaked over the fence to send the crowd of 36,123 into yet another uproar heard ’round LoDo, if not Wyoming.
The five-run seventh was the second five-run inning of the night for the Rockies, who moved a season-high 10 games over .500 (48-38) to close within two games of the Padres in the standings. Carlos Gonzalez and Stewart each hit two-run homers as the Rockies scored five in the third. Stewart’s grand slam, the third of his career, gave him a career-high six RBIs.
San Diego rallied for three in the fifth to take a 7-5 lead. All seven runs — five earned — were charged to Rockies starter Jorge De La Rosa, who was making his first appearance since late April. De La Rosa breezed through the first inning on 11 pitches but struggled after that.
Joe Beimel snuffed out any thought of a San Diego rally by getting Chase Headley to ground into a double play to end the eighth before Huston Street came on to record his fourth save in four chances.
Jim Armstrong: 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com
Looking ahead
TODAY: Padres at Rockies, 6:10 p.m., FSN
Jason Hammel (6-3, 4.18 ERA) has been exceptionally good since returning from the disabled list in May. He’s 5-1, 3.21 at Coors Field, where confidence was an issue for him early last season. He has tightened up his curveball this year, but the key to his season has been fastball command. Lefty Wade LeBlanc (4-6, 3.10) has gotten better as the season has worn on, witness his 2.37 ERA in his last six starts. He struck out a career high-tying eight in his last outing against the Rockies on June 29.
Upcoming pitching matchups
Sunday: Padres’ Clayton Richard (6-4, 3.00) at Rockies’ Jeff Francis (2-3, 5.12), 1:10 p.m., FSN
Monday: All-star break
