SAN DIEGO — There will be no better illustration of the Rockies’ potential promise and pratfalls in the second half than two plays at Petco Park on Friday night.
And whatever good grace the Rockies built with a four-game winning streak entering the all-star break, they lost it to begin the second half.
The Padres jumped to an early lead with two first-inning home runs, then held off the Rockies 4-2 in front of 31,025 fans.
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“We have to play the game hard and play the game right — and we didn’t play the game right,” manager Walt Weiss said. “And it cost us.”
In the third inning, Colorado all-star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki turned a John Elway double play. He cut off a sharp grounder from Justin Upton, then somehow jump-spun off his left foot in the wrong direction — while throwing against his body to second base.
Imagine Elway, the Duke of Denver, rolling left, then throwing across his body all the way back across the field to his right. Tulowitzki’s play was equally “ooh” worthy.
But in the fifth, with the Rockies rallying, Tulowitzki stood on third base and Ben Paulsen on first. Padres pitcher James Shields snapped a throw toward Tulo. Shields missed by a minute. But Paulsen broke for second and killed the inning in a rundown.
“We made some critical outs on the bases,” Weiss said. And to double-down on the point, he added: “We didn’t run the bases very well.”
The last-place Rockies (39-50) became the fifth big-league team to reach 50 losses this season, edging the fourth-place Padres (42-49) for the honor.
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The Padres, who rank 20th in home runs this season, hit two in the first inning off left-hander Jorge De La Rosa. Matt Kemp hit a solo, looping bat-rattler to left field. Jedd Gyorko then jerked a two-run homer to center. San Diego took a 3-0 lead.
“All those pitches they hit were mistakes,” De La Rosa said. “I was frustrated. Those mistakes in the first inning, we lost the game there.”
But De La Rosa settled in. He didn’t allow a runner to second base until the fifth inning. And he left after five — after just five hits, two earned runs, five strikeouts and three walks.
“I threw some pitches when I needed, but it was a bad game for me,” De La Rosa said.
The Rockies turned to their ace to start the second half, despite a lingering cut on his throwing finger that becomes numb during games. He says it’s like holding an egg.
“You ever see Fred Flinstone when he drops a bowling ball on his toe? That’s kind of what it looks like,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss said before Friday’s game. “It swells up. I try not to look. But I see Doogie (Rockies trainer Keith Dugger) coming at me out of the corner of my eye.”
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The Rockies, with only four healthy starting pitchers on their roster, were in need of De La Rosa’s veteran savvy in a division game among bottom dwellers.
“Even when it’s swollen, he can still be effective,” Weiss said.
De La Rosa said his finger felt fine. “No excuses from me,” he said.
His counterpart — Padres starter “Big Game” James Shields — pitched a little more than half a regular-sized game. He allowed seven hits, struck out six and walked four.
But the Rockies fuddled their chances. They went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position — they are 0-for-26 this season with RISP at San Diego.
Charlie Blackmon hit a solo homer to lead off the fifth, but the inning ended abruptly on the basepaths.
Brandon Barnes hustled home for the Rockies after a throwing error by Norris in the seventh, but Nolan Arenado grounded into a double play to end the inning.
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“It’s always been a tough park for us to score in,” Weiss said. “We’ve been good with runners in scoring position this season. But this place is tough for us.”
Nick Groke: ngroke@denverpost.com or
This article was edited in the online archive to indicate the Padres’ pick-off move to third base in the fifth inning came from pitcher James Shields.
