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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
DENVER (AP) – After dropping their first three games to San
Francisco, the San Diego Padres looked like division doormats,
which is where they were predicted to be.
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| Nevin |
But after sweeping the Colorado Rockies in their next three
games, the Padres took on a whole new look.
Phil Nevin homered and drove in five runs, and Brian Tollberg
pitched eight strong innings to lead the Padres to an 11-3 win over
Colorado on Sunday and their first-ever sweep of a three-game
series in Denver.
"I don't think we're as bad as a lot of the baseball experts or
some of the media have us placed in our division," manager Bruce
Bochy said.
Referring to the low expectations, Nevin said, "That's fine.
Keep ignoring us, please."
Nevin broke a 3-3 tie in the sixth, greeting reliever Craig
Dingman with a 453-foot shot for his third homer of the season.
Ahead of him, Damian Jackson had walked and Mike Darr singled, both
off Horacio Estrada (0-1).
Nevin, who also hit a three-run homer Saturday, added a two-run
single in the ninth.
"Against two of the best teams in the division, we played San
Francisco tough and came in here and took three from Colorado,"
Nevin said. "You have to like that. It's early, but for us, a very
young team, this is a good start and a confidence-builder.
"We'll find out how good we are. Maybe not in these six games,
but a month from now we'll know."
Tollberg (1-0) allowed seven hits and three runs, walking one
and striking out four.
Darr had a career-high four hits for San Diego, which also got
production from the bottom of the order. No. 7 hitter Santiago
Perez had a single, RBI double and walk and scored twice, and No. 8
hitter Donaldo Mendez had three hits, including a solo homer, and
drove in two runs.
Larry Walker had three hits, including a two-run homer, for
Colorado.
"We ran into a good pitcher," Walker said. "He hit his spots
and threw all his pitches for strikes."
Tollberg said he tried to "go as deep as I could in the game
and save the pen. I tried not to walk guys. Walks can crush you in
a park like this. They (Rockies) helped me out sometimes, too. They
are aggressive hitters. That's why my pitch count was low, because
they put the ball in play so much."
The Padres announced in the seventh inning they were playing the
game under protest, contending Rockies manager Buddy Bell made an
illegal double switch.
Colorado dropped three after taking three from St. Louis to open
the season.
"I didn't make a big deal out of the first three," Bell said,
"and I'm not making a big deal out of the last three. Things
haven't gone well over the last three games, but that's why we play
a long season."
San Diego scratched out a run in the first off Ron Villone, who
was making his Rockies' debut. With two outs, Ryan Klesko and Nevin
both walked, and Bubba Trammell singled up the middle.
Colorado went ahead 2-1 in its half on Walker's third homer,
which followed a single by Juan Pierre.
Mendez, who collected his first major league hit on Saturday,
got his first homer, a 431-foot solo shot, in the second.
Ben Petrick's sacrifice fly gave the Rockies a 3-2 lead in the
fourth. It could have been a bigger inning, but Walker, leading
off, was thrown out at second on an infield single after second
baseman Jackson's errant throw to first caromed off the dugout
railing halfway back to first baseman Klesko. A single, error and
intentional walk then loaded the bases in advance of Petrick's RBI.
The Padres made it 3-3 in the fifth. With two outs, Perez
singled, stole second and scored on Mendez's single.
San Diego added two runs in the seventh, including Jackson's
sacrifice fly. Perez had an RBI double in the eighth.
Game notes
San Diego's Tony Gwynn was scratched from the starting
lineup because of tightness in his legs. Gwynn appeared in a
career-low 36 games last season and didn't play after surgery in
June on his left knee. ... X-rays on Colorado shortstop Neifi
Perez's left thumb and catcher Brent Mayne's right wrist both were
negative after Saturday's game. Perez, however, was placed on the
15-day disabled list Sunday with a sprain, ending his consecutive
games-played streak at 171. The Rockies said he might need surgery.
Shortstop Juan Uribe was activated from Double-A Carolina. ...
Villone hadn't pitched in 12 days, since going six innings against
the Cubs in an exhibition game March 27. ... Dingman left the game
in the seventh with an apparent shoulder injury.
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RECAPS
Boston 3
Tampa Bay 0
Cleveland 4
Baltimore 3
NY Yankees 16
Toronto 5
Detroit 5
Chi. White Sox 3
Kansas City 15
Minnesota 4
Texas 5
Seattle 4
Anaheim 6
Oakland 4
Florida 6
Atlanta 1
Montreal 5
NY Mets 2
Philadelphia 3
Chicago Cubs 1
Milwaukee 8
Cincinnati 4
Pittsburgh 9
Houston 3
San Diego 11
Colorado 3
St. Louis 9
Arizona 4
San Francisco 8
Los Angeles 3
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