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Luebke, Padres one-hit Rockies

Sep 20, 2011 - 4:46 AM Denver, CO (Sports Network) - Corey Luebke tossed seven brilliant innings to lead the San Diego Padres to an 8-2 thrashing of the Colorado Rockies in the opener of a three-game set at Coors Field.

Luebke (6-9) took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before having it broken up on a two-run home run by Mark Ellis. That turned out to be Colorado's only hit. Luebke struck out nine and walked three. Ernesto Frieri pitched the final two innings.

"There was still a lot of game to go yet," Luebke said of his no-hit bid. "There's still 10, 11 outs to go so you don't think about it until you get to that last inning or so."

Cameron Maybin and Aaron Cunningham clubbed two-run home runs in the fourth inning and Jason Bartlett added a pair of RBI for the Padres. Luebke also helped his own cause with two hits.

Kevin Millwood (3-3) was roughed up in 3 1/3 innings, giving up seven runs -- six earned -- on nine hits for the Rockies, losers of five straight.

"His pitches were up, his fastball was up, he couldn't really locate his fast ball like he has done so consistently for us," Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. "His breaking ball feel tonight wasn't where we've seen it be since he showed up, and as a result, they took advantage of it."

Kyle Blanks and Orlando Hudson singled to begin the San Diego second and Jeremy Hermida followed with another single up the middle to bring home Blanks, giving the Padres the early lead.

They poured it on from there.

San Diego added two more runs in the third. Maybin reached on a fielder's choice, stole second and came around to score on a single by Bartlett. Nick Hundley then reached on a fielder's choice and moved to second on a passed ball before Blanks knocked him in with a single to left.

A pair of two-run homers by Cunningham and Maybin in the fourth put the Padres ahead by a comfortable 7-0 margin.

Maybin cracked a triple into the gap in right-center field with one out in the sixth and waltzed home on a sacrifice fly by Bartlett to push the San Diego advantage to 8-0.

Colorado got on the board in the home half of the inning when Luebke walked Eric Young Jr. with one out then had his no-hit bid ended as Ellis crushed a 3-1 fastball over the wall in dead center field to account for the final margin.

Game Notes

Hermida connected on his first triple of the season in the fifth...Colorado leads the season series, 9-7...It was only the fourth time in the history of Coors Field that the Rockies have been held to one hit or less.