Padres get first win vs. Rockies this season

DENVER -- It took them seven games and they had to endure a two-run, game-tying home run in the eighth inning, but the San Diego Padres finally beat the Colorado Rockies this season.

The Padres' winning run in their 12-inning, 6-5 victory Thursday night came on a fielder's choice with the bases loaded when Yasmani Grandal was ruled safe on a close play at first base.

The game-winning rally began with a one-out single from Chase Headley and a double by Kyle Blanks. Jedd Gyorko was intentionally walked.

Grandal, the Padres' last available position player, bounced a ball that third baseman Nolan Arenado gloved crossing the foul line. Third base umpire Cory Blaser ruled that Arenado forced Blanks at third, but first base umpire Ed Hickox decided Grandal just beat Arenado's long throw, denying the Rockies an inning-ending double play.

There was some question on both sides where the correct calls were made on the play.

"Safe at first, out at third?" Padres manager Bud Black said. "I don't know. ... I loved how the game turned out. It's a great win. If you lose that, on the other end, it's a tough one."

Arenado said, "I thought I skimmed the bag, but I didn't. I didn't touch the bag at all at third. But he was obviously out at first. (Hickox) didn't get a good look at it."

Arenado said he had seen a replay that showed first baseman Jordan Pacheco caught the ball as Grandal was stepping toward the base.

"I didn't feel I had enough time to tag third and throw, so I just tried in one motion to see what happened," Arenado said. "It sucks that the tides turned like that; that was a big play."

The Rockies outscored the Padres 20-6 and 18-11 while sweeping two three-game series that left San Diego with a 2-10 record on April 14. But the Padres have risen from those depths, winning 23 of their past 40 games.

Each team used six pitchers in a game that took 4 hours, 4 minutes as the Rockies fell to 4-7 in extra innings and the Padres improved to 4-2 after their first extra-inning game on the road.

Colorado's Wilin Rosario, who doubled home a run in the sixth, tied the game at 5 with a two-run homer off Dale Thayer with two out in the eighth. It was the 10th homer for Rosario.

Pacheco and Rosario hit back-to-back doubles with two out in the sixth to cut the Padres' lead to 5-3. Rosario had just one hit in his previous 25 at-bats.

Rosario's homer spoiled a good outing by Andrew Cashner, who gave up three runs in seven innings and threw a season-high 107 pitches.

"This is another step in the right direction for Cash as a starting pitcher," Black said.

Jhoulys Chacin lasted 5 1/3 innings and threw just 57 of 97 pitches for strikes while giving up five runs.

After their four-run fourth, the Padres made it 5-2 in the sixth, which began with consecutive singles by Carlos Quentin and Gyroko. With one out, Cameron Maybin flared a run-scoring single to center.

That brought Rob Scahill on in relief of Chacin, and Scahill struck out Nick Hundley and Cashner.

Chacin gave up a double to Everth Cabrera to start the game, but the Padres did not get another hit until Headley led off the fourth with a single. The big inning has plagued Chacin, and that hit turned out to be the start of a four-run uprising. Quentin followed with a four-pitch walk. Gyorko grounded a run-scoring double inside third base that moved Quentin to third, and the Padres made it 2-0 when Mark Kotsay grounded to second.

With the infield playing in, Arenado fielded Maybin's chopper and threw home but not in time to get Gyorko.

Maybin stole second and went to third when catcher Rosario threw the ball into center field on the fly. Hundley drove in Maybin with a broken-bat grounder to shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. Cashner followed with a single to left field but tried to stretch the hit into a double and was thrown out by Carlos Gonzalez, who recorded his seventh assist.

Cashner held the Rockies hitless until Arenado led off the fourth with a double. He scored on a two-out double by Michael Cuddyer, who has hit in 10 straight games.

DJ LeMahieu doubled with one out in the fifth, stole third base and scored when catcher Hundley threw the ball into left field. Eric Young Jr. singled with two out, and Arenado doubled to right center. But Cashner was able to maintain San Diego's 4-2 lead when Gonzalez fouled out.

On Wednesday night at Cincinnati, Gonzalez and Tulowitzki went a combined 8-for-10 with five homers, nine RBI and six runs scored in Colorado's 12-4 romp. Against the Padres, they were a combined 0-for-11 with one walk.

"It's hard to do, especially the way they're swinging," Black said.

NOTES: Maybin was reinstated from the 15-day disabled list, and INF Yonder Alonso (right hand contusion) was placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to June 1. Maybin went 2-for-5 with two RBI, two stolen bases and a game-saving catch on the track in right-center to end the 11th with a runner on second. He missed 45 games after being placed on the disabled list April 17 with a right wrist impingement and just completed a nine-game rehab assignment with Triple-A Tucson. ... Rockies CF Dexter Fowler was not in the lineup for the second straight day due to migraine headaches. ... With the third overall pick in the draft, the Rockies chose RHP Jonathan Gray from the University of Oklahoma. In 16 starts (119 innings) for the Sooners, Gray has gone 10-2 with a 1.59 ERA, 22 walks and 138 strikeouts. Gray is scheduled to start Friday at LSU in an NCAA Super Regional. ... The Padres, with the 13th pick, selected Mississippi State OF Hunter Renfroe, a power hitter with the arm strength to play right field. ... Rockies RHP Tyler Chatwood, who left his start Monday after four innings with a right triceps strain, played catch for about 10 minutes from 60-75 feet and felt fine. He is scheduled to long toss Friday. Chatwood will not make his scheduled start Saturday.