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Morales helps Rockies split series with Padres

Apr 18, 2014 - 3:14 AM San Diego, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Franklin Morales tossed six strong innings and the Colorado Rockies scored three times in the seventh inning to rally for a 3-1 win over the San Diego Padres and split a four-game series from Petco Park.

Justin Morneau and Nolan Arenado each came through with run-scoring hits in the seventh to support Morales (1-1), who yielded a Xavier Nady solo homer and just three other hits while walking one.

"That's honestly the best I've ever seen him pitch," Padres outfielder Wil Venable said of Morales.

Padres starter Ian Kennedy (1-3) carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning, but was responsible for all three Colorado runs in the seventh to take the loss in spite of allowing only four hits and fanning seven through seven frames.

Kennedy had been cruising along until the seventh, permitting merely an Arenado double and two baserunners overall while bringing a 1-0 edge into the frame. However, a bloop double by Corey Dickerson and a one-out walk to Tulowitzki brought the tying run aboard, and Morneau tied it by lacing a two- bagger into the gap in right center.

Padres manager Bud Black then opted to play the infield back with runners on second and third, which enabled Tulowitzki to score the go-ahead run on Wilin Rosario's ground ball. Arenado followed with a single to left that pushed the margin to 3-1.

"We battled, and it started with [Dickerson] hitting that blooper over third," said Morneau. "Then we got a couple of big hits and we were good."

Rex Brothers and Boone Logan kept Colorado in front with a scoreless inning apiece. LaTroy Hawkins gave up a leadoff single to Chris Denorfia in the ninth, but nailed down his fourth save of the year by getting Nady to bounce into a game-ending double play.

Kennedy began his otherwise strong outing by setting down 12 straight hitters before having his perfect game broken up with a leadoff walk to Tulowitzki in the fifth. Arenado's double to open the sixth ended the no-hit bid, but the Padres right-hander got a big strikeout of Morales with one out and the tying run on third, then retired Charlie Blackmon on a grounder to protect San Diego's slim 1-0 advantage.

"He didn't miss a spot, didn't miss anything, for the first five innings," Colorado's Michael Cuddyer said of Kennedy.

The Padres had that upper hand courtesy of Nady, who crushed a full-count offering from Morales off the facing of the second deck in left to start the bottom of the fourth.

San Diego mustered little else against Morales, with the Colorado lefty allowing just one more hit over the remainder of his stint and concluding it by keeping the final eight hitters he faced off the basepaths.

Game Notes

Cuddyer was removed from the game in the seventh inning with a cramp in his left hamstring ... Padres third baseman Chase Headley (strained right biceps) was out of the starting lineup for a second straight day, but singled as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning ... Arenado ended 2-for-3 to extend his hitting streak to eight games ... The Padres lost for the first time in five games this season when leading after six innings.