MORALES TAKES NO-HITTER INTO 8TH
Rockies Hold Pads to 2 Hits
SAN DIEGO, Apr. 17 (AP) - Franklin Morales took a no-hitter into the eighth
inning before surrendering a lead-off double to Tommy Medica, but the Colorado
Rockies went on to defeat the San Diego Padres 4-0 at Petco Park. After
allowing the double, Morales went on to complete the inning without allowing
Medica to even advance to third. LaTroy Hawkins ultimately came on in the
ninth to close out the game.
Morales has now taken a no-hitter deeper into a game than any other pitcher in
major league baseball thus far this season.
The Rockies made things relatively easy on Morales by staking him to an early
lead. Charlie Blackmon led off the game by grounding a single to right
and, one out later, scored on Corey Dickerson's triple off Padres starter Ian
Kennedy to the deepest part of right-center field.
Colorado secured some breathing room in the third with a two-out rally.
Kennedy fanned Michael Cuddyer and Dickerson, but then walked Troy Tulowitzksi
and Justin Morneau, putting runners on first and second. Wilin Rosario
followed with a double to left-center, scoring both baserunners for a 3-0
Rockies lead.
Morales retired the first 12 batters he faced before issuing consecutive bases
on balls to Xavier Nady and Yasmani Grandal to open the fifth, but induced a
double play grounder off the bat of Medica and then retired Will Venable on a
grounder to second to end the threat. Pinch hitter Chase Headley drew a
walk from Morales with one out in the sixth, but nothing came of it.
After Medica broke up the no-hitter in the eighth, Morales struck out Venable
and then retired Alexi Amarista and Nick Hundley on routine flies to center to
end the inning.
In the top of the ninth, the Rockies picked up an insurance run. San Diego
reliever Alexander Torres retired the first two hitters he faced but walked
Blackmon and plunked Cuddyer to put runners on first and second. Dickerson
then flared a base hit down the left field line scoring Blackmon easily, but
Dickerson was thrown out at second trying to stretch the hit.
In the bottom of the ninth, struggling Matt Belisle came on to try to finish the
game but immediately ran into trouble. Everth Cabrera walked and Chris
Denorfia singled for the Padres' second hit, putting runners on first and
second. Rockies manager Walt Weiss wasted no time summoning Hawkins from
the bullpen and the Colorado closer rose to the occasion, striking out Jedd
Gyorko and pinch hitter Seth Smith before retiring Grandal on a comebacker to
end the contest.
4/17/2014, Col14-SD14, PETCO Park 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 2014 Rockies 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 7 0 8 1 2014 Padres 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 5 0 Rockies AB R H BI AVG Padres AB R H BI AVG Blackmon cf 4 2 2 0 .271 Cabrera,E ss 3 0 0 0 .268 Cuddyer rf 4 0 1 0 .317 Denorfia rf 4 0 1 0 .189 Dickerson,Co lf 5 0 2 2 .438 Gyorko 2b 4 0 0 0 .186 Belisle p 0 0 0 0 .000 Nady lf 2 0 0 0 .211 Hawkins p 0 0 0 0 .000 Smith,S ph 1 0 0 0 .065 Tulowitzki ss 2 1 0 0 .449 Grandal c 3 0 0 0 .231 Morneau 1b 2 1 0 0 .327 Medica 1b 3 0 1 0 .250 Rosario c 4 0 1 2 .255 Venable cf 3 0 0 0 .184 Arenado 3b 4 0 1 0 .258 Amarista 3b 3 0 0 0 .175 LeMahieu 2b 4 0 0 0 .128 Kennedy p 1 0 0 0 .200 Morales,F p 2 0 0 0 .200 Headley ph 0 0 0 0 .267 Barnes,B ph 1 0 0 0 .115 Benoit p 0 0 0 0 .000 32 4 7 4 Hundley ph 1 0 0 0 .333 Torres,A p 0 0 0 0 .000 28 0 2 0 Rockies INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Morales,F W 1-1 8.0 1 0 0 3 9 106 61 3.72 Belisle 0.0 1 0 0 1 0 9 4 10.80 Hawkins S 6 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 12 9 2.45 9.0 2 0 0 4 11 127 74 Padres INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Kennedy L 0-3 6.0 6 3 3 5 4 124 67 5.64 Benoit 2.0 0 0 0 0 2 18 13 1.08 Torres,A 1.0 1 1 1 1 0 20 10 1.50 9.0 7 4 4 6 6 162 90 Col: Barnes,B batted for Morales,F in the 9th Barnes,B moved to lf in the 9th SD : Headley batted for Kennedy in the 6th Hundley batted for Benoit in the 8th Smith,S batted for Nady in the 9th 2B-Blackmon(3), Rosario(7), Arenado(3), Medica(2). 3B-Dickerson,Co(1). RBI-Dickerson,Co 2(3), Rosario 2(9). K-Dickerson,Co, Tulowitzki, Rosario, LeMahieu 2, Morales,F, Cabrera,E, Gyorko 2, Nady 2, Grandal 2, Venable, Amarista, Kennedy, Smith,S. BB-Blackmon, Tulowitzki 2, Morneau 2, Morales,F, Cabrera,E, Nady, Grandal, Headley. HBP-Cuddyer. HB-Torres,A. GWRBI: Dickerson,Co Temperature: 72, Sky: clear, Wind: left to right at 18 MPH. Attendance: 20,574 Game Time: 2:55