Associated Press
DENVER – Jon Gray struck out a franchise-record 16 and pitched a four-hitter to lead the Colorado Rockies to an 8-0 victory over the San Diego Padres on Saturday night.
Gray (10-8) threw 113 pitches in surpassing Darryl Kile’s 14-strikeout performance on August 20, 1998.
Tom Murphy homered twice and had five RBIs for the Rockies. Nolan Arenado added his NL-leading 38th home run of the season.
Colorado has won the first two games in the three-game series, which included an 8-7 walk-off win on Friday night.
Edwin Jackson (4-6) gave up 10 hits and eight runs in 4 1/3 innings. The Padres did not put a runner in scoring position.
Gray struck out four batters in the second inning, including a strikeout on a passed ball to Padres outfielder Jon Jay. He tied Bruce Ruffin (July 25, 1996) as the only other Colorado pitcher to accomplish the feat.
The hard-throwing 24-year-old then fanned two more in the third for his sixth strikeout in a row, the franchise’s most in a single game. He had 14 K’s after seven and tacked on two more in the ninth for the team record.
The Rockies took control early when Arenado hit a two-run homer that hit the left-field concourse with two outs in the first. David Dahl then kept the inning alive with a double and Murphy homered to give Colorado a 4-0 lead.
Later, Charlie Blackmon hit an RBI triple in the fourth and Murphy hit a three-run shot in the fifth for his first multi-homer game of his career.
DJ LeMahieu singled and reached base twice to extend his on-base streak to 33 games. His .349 batting average is one point ahead of Washington’s Daniel Murphy for the lead in the NL batting race.
TRAINER’S ROOMRHP Jarred Cosart (right hamstring injury and groin strain) will start on Sunday for the Padres after he was pulled from his last start in the fourth inning.
“His leg is fine and we are going to proceed with the rotation,” San Diego manager Andy Green said.
Green also said that RHP Tyson Ross (shoulder) is not expected to return this season. ... C Derek Norris left the game in the fifth with a sprained left middle finger.
UP NEXTThe final meeting of the year between the NL West foes will feature RHP Chad Bettis of the Rockies against Cosart on Sunday afternoon. Cosart (0-3, 5.16 ERA) allowed 10 runs in 7 2/3 innings in his last two starts. Bettis (12-7, 4.78), meanwhile, is 8-2 with a 3.99 ERA since June 15.