Gray strikes out Rockies-record 16 in 4-hitter vs Padres

Wil Myers hit a two-run bomb to center in the first inning, and Luis Sardinas led off the sixth with a homer to right.

Descalso hit just.205 with a.607 OPS in 101 games and 185 at-bats past year. Colorado’s big right-hander struck out San Diego shortstop Luis Sardinas, who swung harmlessly at Gray’s 89 miles per hour slider.

San Diego Padres players bow their heads during a moment of silence for the wife of teammate Yangervis Solarte, who lost his wife to cancer on Saturday, before the Padres face the Colorado Rockies in the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016, in Denver. Colorado 3B Nolan Arenado went 8-for-13 and drove in three runs during the Arizona series, increasing his major league-leading RBI total to 121.3. He tied Bruce Ruffin (July 25, 1996) as the only other Colorado pitcher to accomplish the feat. With runners in scoring position this season, Descalso is hitting.415 (22-for-53) with 32 RBIs.

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.

Rockies: LHP Tyler Anderson (5-5, 3.65) opens a three-game series against St. Louis on Monday.

By the end of the Rockies’ 8-0 victory over the Padres, Gray had pitched one of the most dominant games in team history and rewritten the franchise record book in the process. David Dahl then kept the inning going with a double and Murphy homered to give Colorado a 4-0 lead.

Padres manager Andy Green said before the game that there is no timetable for Solarte to rejoin the team.

Edwin Jackson will start for the Padres. Gray had a level of intent with every pitch making hitters uncomfortable with a devastating slider and overpowering fastball to any part of the zone. In 11 starts away from Coors Field, Chatwood is 7-1 with a 1.77 ERA, and opponents have hit just.192 against him. Chatwood, who had two hits, stroked an RBI single, but the big at-bat was LeMahieu’s three-run double off former Rockies starter Christian Friedrich. “I feel like it would mean a lot to Solarte to know how much he means to us, how much his family means to the San Diego Padres”.

RHP 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. “We basically couldn’t get anything going offensively”.

Green also said that RHP Tyson Ross (shoulder) is not expected to return this season.

Padres: C Derek Norris didn’t start because of a jammed finger but was available off the bench.

Green said before Friday’s game the suspension has been tough on him. Oddly enough, he has only 14 home runs in 118 games this season, despite playing in the hitter’s paradise of Coors Field (eight of his 14 home runs came in Colorado).

The final meeting of the year between the NL West foes will match Cosart and RHP Chad Bettis. Bettis (12-7, 4.78), meanwhile, is 8-2 with a 3.99 ERA since June 15.