• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Rodriguez plates winning run as Padres edge Rockies

Sep 1, 2008 - 12:32 AM By Tim Powers PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- Luis Rodriguez had the game-winning hit in the ninth inning as the San Diego Padres salvaged a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies in the rubber match of a three-game set on Sunday.

Rookie Will Venable led off the frame against Taylor Buchholz (6-4) with a single and advanced to third on a one-out single by Brian Giles.

Rodriguez followed with a single to score Venable, as the fill-in shortstop Rodriguez drove in both of his team's runs. The Padres won for the fifth time in six games and took two consecutive series at home after dropping the previous nine.

"I waited for the right pitch, because (Buchholz) didn't want to throw me a fastball or something straight," Rodriguez said. "He started throwing me a lot of breaking pitches, slider included, so I waited for that pitch and I hit it. I had confidence that I was going to get the job done."

The rally made a winner of all-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman (3-6), who blew the save chance in the top of the frame.

"It was a great feeling, and I'm glad we were able to pull that one out," Venable said. "Luis is a guy who is going to put the ball in play one way or the other, and I think he did a great job in that at-bat. We got the job done, and we're happy with that."

Chris Ianetta's two-out, pinch-hit single in the ninth went just between the two San Diego middle infielders and brought home Brad Hawpe to even the score at 1-1.

It marked the fourth blown save of the season for Hoffman in 31 chances, and spoiled a terrific outing for San Diego ace Jake Peavy.

Peavy tossed eight shutout innings - at one point setting down 13 batters in a row - and tied his longest outing of the season. The 26-year-old righthander recorded a season-high 13 strikeouts and issued two walks.

"We've got one of the best closers in the game, if not the best," Peavy said. "Trevor's save ratio has been as good as ever this year. It just wasn't meant to be today. Obviously, it's tough when anybody blows a save, and I'm sure nobody feels worse than Trevor."

Rodriguez accounted for San Diego's other run when he doubled Peavy home in the fifth for a 1-0 advantage.

The contest played out as a pitchers' duel, as both starters traded scoreless frames until San Diego broke through against Colorado's Jeff Francis in the fifth.

"Francis pitched very well, but (Peavy) is pretty good, too," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "(Peavy) was making pitches. Sometimes he can throw that thing into a tea cup, and that's what he was doing today, he was hitting all of the spots he wanted to hit."

Colorado's best scoring chance against Peavy came in the second when Garrett Atkins advanced to third on a two-out single by Troy Tulowitzki, but Peavy struck out Francis to keep the game scoreless.

"I used my fastball a lot to both sides of the plate," Peavy said. "I threw some great breaking balls, some curveballs, even to the righties. Those guys have seen so much of me that we varied it up today."

Francis lasted seven innings, surrendering one run and six hits. The 27-year-old lefthander struck out six and walked two batters.

"Every loss is difficult," Hurdle said. "Today, it's hard, just because your starting pitcher went out there and battled a guy with maybe more electricity, but really not any more efficiency as far as getting outs and putting zeroes up. It was (Francis') best effort of the season for me."

Tulowitzki collected a pair of singles for Colorado, which lost a series for the first time in its last five.