SAN DIEGO—For the second straight year, the San Diego Padres are sliding backward heading into the final month of the season.
Will Venable homered Saturday night, but the Padres fell 5-4 to the Colorado Rockies to extend their losing streak to nine games.
It’s San Diego’s longest skid since a 10-game losing streak last summer started its collapse after leading the NL West for much of the season. San Diego finished two games behind San Francisco after losing to the Giants on the final day of the regular season.
Both losing streaks came at nearly the same time. Last year, the Padres’ 10-game slide started on Aug. 26 and ended on Sept. 5. This year’s skid started on Aug. 24.
“We just are not doing the things we need to,” Padres manager Bud Black said. “This is a game of inches at times. I think that was the case (Saturday night). They had a couple of hard-hit balls that just eluded us. We clawed back in it at 5-4 but couldn’t score late in the game.”
Dexter Fowler had three hits and scored twice for the Rockies, who finished with 11 hits. Troy Tulowitzki and Todd Helton each went 2 for 4 and drove in a run.
Fowler, who tripled in the series opener on Friday night, had a pair of doubles and has six extra-base hits in his last four games. The speedy center fielder has 26 extra-base hits in 47 games since being recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs on July 15.
Alex White (1-1) earned his first win since he was acquired from Cleveland in the Ubaldo Jimenez trade. He allowed four runs and five hits in five innings.
Venable, Jesus Guzman and Nick Hundley had two hits apiece for San Diego, which hasn’t won since it beat San Francisco 7-5 on Aug. 23.
Colorado scored three runs in the fourth inning to grab the lead for good. Tulowitzki led off with a double to right against Cory Luebke (5-8) and scored on Helton’s single to center. Ryan Spilborghs added an RBI double and Chris Iannetta hit a sacrifice fly to give the Rockies a 4-2 lead.
Fowler started the Colorado fifth with a single and scored on Tulowitzki’s base hit.
“I’ve got to get the leadoff man out,” Luebke said. “Both those innings, their guys led off with doubles. That makes it a little harder.”
Guzman hit a two-run double in the bottom half of the fifth to get San Diego within one, but the Padres were unable to complete the comeback.
Josh Roenicke, Rex Brothers, Huston Street and Rafael Betancourt each worked a scoreless inning after White left. Betancourt finished for his sixth save in 10 chances.
The Rockies, who were swept in their previous series against NL West-leading Arizona, won for the 12th time in 15 games at San Diego. Colorado is 6-2 at Petco Park this season.
Luebke gave up five runs and eight hits in 4 1-3 innings.
“I just wasn’t consistent,” Luebke said. “I couldn’t locate my fastball. That’s always been a key to my success, getting ahead. I didn’t really give us a chance.”
Venable led off the first with his sixth homer. It was his fourth career leadoff homer, all this season. Venable also doubled and scored on Guzman’s double in the fifth.
NOTES: San Diego is 18-34 against the NL West and .500 against both the East and Central. … Padres OF Cameron Maybin (sore right wrist) was out of the starting lineup for the seventh straight game. But Black said there was a good chance that Maybin could be in the lineup on Sunday. … RHP Aaron Cook (3-8, 5.82 ERA) will start for Colorado on Sunday. He is 14-5 against the Padres in his career. Padres RHP Mat Latos (6-13, 3.82) will bid for his second victory in 12 starts.
