That fall-like chill that cooled down Coors Field on Friday came five days early for the equinox. The Rockies, whose season was put on ice a long time ago, are racing toward the end — if only to get it over with.
“It’s weird,” manager Walt Weiss said. “The days seem long, but the season goes fast. I don’t know how that works.”
The Rockies started their final homestand of the year — a 10-game spree against the lowly San Diego Padres and the playoff-prepping Pittsburgh Pirates and Los Angeles Dodgers — with a point to prove.
With right-hander Chad Bettis on the mound, the Rockies put some distance between their home and road record split with a 7-4 victory over the Padres.
Never have the Rockies won more games in a season on the road than at the hitter’s haven of Coors Field. Only once did they do it as a franchise, in 1994’s strike-shortened season at the old Mile High.
The Rockies (62-85) are finally winning on the road with the same clip they do in Denver — they just needed to lose at home enough to even it out. After Friday night’s victory, Colorado has just two more wins at home than on the road (32 and 30). The Rockies have won more than 50 games at home in just four seasons, including 2007 and 2009, both playoff seasons.
“It’s hard to believe this is the last homestand of the year,” Weiss said. “We really want to play well. We haven’t played as well at home as we’ve wanted to. It’s important to finish strong.”
Bettis whipped out five innings in the breeze, allowing just one run over 94 pitches, including a back-door cutter that backed off Padres righties, to improve to 8-5.
“But everything falls into place with his fastball command,” Weiss said. “It’s put him in control of the games he’s pitched.”
San Diego scored only on a groundout RBI from Justin Upton in the third against Bettis. But the Rockies already carried a lead.
In the second, Corey Dickerson singled to center to drive in Nolan Arenado, and Dustin Garneau doubled to drive in two more, DJ LeMahieu and Dickerson.
Bettis struck out six San Diego hitters and walked just one. Padres pitcher Ian Kennedy struck out five, but lost his 15th game of the season.
After San Diego’s Wil Myers hit a solo homer in the top of the seventh to cut Colorado’s lead to 4-2, Jose Reyes singled to center to drive home Garneau and pinch-hitter Daniel Descalso, whose short slide at home just beat a throw to give the Rockies a 6-2 advantage. Arenado singled in another run, then stole second (just his second stolen base of the season).
The Padres cut it to 7-4 in the eighth with two runs on a single by Cory Spangenberg off Rockies reliever Jairo Diaz.
But John Axford pitched a scoreless ninth for his 24th save of the season.
“We had great starting pitching on the last road trip and the bullpen was solid,” Garneau said. And it translated at home Friday. “It makes it a lot easier when a plan comes together and everyone does their job.”
Nick Groke: ngroke@denverpost.com or
