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Padres embarrass Hernandez, crush Rockies

Aug 11, 2008 - 12:42 AM By Brady Delander PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

DENVER (Ticker) -- The Colorado Rockies thought signing former World Series Most Valuable Player Livan Hernandez off waivers was just the thing the club needed for another playoff run. Hernandez's first outing, and Colorado's performance during its recent homestand, told another story.

Kevin Kouzmanoff, Jody Gerut and Brian Giles all hit home runs in a seven-run third inning as the San Diego Padres walked all over newly acquired Hernandez and the fading Rockies for a 16-7 victory on Sunday.

"(Livan) is a good control pitcher, but he didn't have the control like he usually does," Giles said. "When he did leave anything over the middle, we did some damage."

Giles finished with four hits, four runs and four RBI, Gerut collected another three hits and three RBI and Kouzmanoff added three hits and two RBI.

Not to be outdone, Luke Carlin hit a homer and drove in three runs and Adrian Gonzalez had four hits and scored three runs to help the Padres take two of three games at Coors Field.

"To have a big homestand and get beaten by two teams we feel we should play better than is tough to take," Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said.

All eight of the Padres position players finished with at least one hit and one run scored as San Diego posted a season high in runs scored. Justin Hampson (1-1) picked up the win with three scoreless innings of relief.

The Rockies did not get the kind of outing they had hoped for when they picked up Hernandez off waivers last week.

"He wasn't able to throw quality strikes on either edge of the plate. Those balls were hit hard," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said.

Making his first appearance for Colorado, Hernandez (0-1) gave up nine runs and seven hits and walked four in 2 2/3 innings. He allowed four hits - two singles and two run-scoring doubles - before recording an out in the first inning and left the game following Gerut's three-run homer in the third.

"I left a lot of pitches over the top of the plate. I'm better than that. I know that," Hernandez said.

Colorado trailed, 11-0, after three innings. Despite the lead, Padres starter Chris Young would not last long enough to figure in the decision.

The Rockies jumped all over Young and back into the game, putting up seven runs of in the fourth. Cory Sullivan hit a two-run triple and Brad Hawpe drove in three more runs with a two-out homer to make it 11-7, ending Young's day.

But San Diego's bullpen did its job, and Carlin hit a three-run blast in the sixth inning to put the game out of reach.

"I'm a quick enough study to know that the more runs you get here at this park the better you are," Padres manager Bud Black said.