[Quack Attack]

Rockies lose first under Tracy

By Patrick Saunders
The Denver Post

Posted: 05/31/2009 04:17:58 PM MDT
Updated: 05/31/2009 06:14:20 PM MDT




Adrian Gonzalez of the Padres is welcomed home by Tony Gwynn Jr. after his third-inning three-run home run. (Doug Pensinger, Getty Images)


Colorado Rockies

The optimism of the Jim Tracy era collided with the reality of the 2009 Rockies this afternoon at Coors Field. Reality won. The Padres rode the big bat of slugger Adrian Gonzalez and took advantage of mistakes by Colorado starter Jorge De La Rosa en route to a 5-2 victory. San Diego's victory denied the Rockies of their first sweep of the season.

Tracy, who replaced Clint Hurdle as manager Friday, suffered his first loss after back-to-back victories. Unfortunately for the Rockies, De La Rosa was once again his own worst enemy. In the third, he served up a three-run homer to the dangerous Gonzalez, who leads the majors with 20 home runs.

In the fifth, after issuing two-out walks to Scott Hairston and Gonzalez, De La Rosa left a 2-0 pitch over the plate for Kevin Kouzmanoff, who drilled it for a run-scoring double, staking the Padres to a 4-0 lead.
Down 5-0, the Rockies scored twice in the seventh inning, mixing back-to-back singles by Garrett Atkins and Brad Hawpe, a sacrifice fly by Troy Tulowitzki, an error by Hairston in center and a run-scoring blooper by Torrealba. The Rockies, nine games under .500, open an 11-game road trip Monday night in Houston.