DENVER — Cole Carrigg brought the fireworks to Coors Field on Tuesday night as his four hits and two towering home runs helped the Colorado Rockies defeat the San Diego Padres by a 9-3 score and snap an eight-game losing streak.
Carrigg, who recorded a career-best four hits in his 21st multi-hit game of the season, finished a triple shy of the cycle. It also marked the first career multi-homer game for the 24-year-old rookie out of Turlock High School and San Diego State who made his MLB debut in June.
The first hit of the game by Colorado was courtesy of Carrigg, who lined a single to left field in the opening frame. In the third inning and a runner on first base and the Rockies trailing 2-0, Carrigg ambushed a cutter by Padres starter Walker Buehler, pulling it 407 feet at 103.6 mph to the second deck in right field. It was his ninth home run of the season and his second in as many days.
In the fifth inning, Carrigg smashed his 21st double of the year to knock Buehler out of the game.
An inning later with the Rockies holding a 4-3 advantage, Carrigg capped a 13-pitch at-bat against reliever Randy Vasquez with a 415-foot, three-run bomb into the visitor’s bullpen in right field. With an exit velocity of 105.5 mph, Carrigg immediately turned to his teammates in the dugout and fired his bat into the ground as he screamed in celebration.
After each home run, Rockies teammates followed the season-long tradition of draping Carrigg in a custom, purple fur coat.
The five RBI also marked the most for Carrigg in a single game at the big league level.
Seven of Carrigg’s 10 career home runs have traveled 400 feet or further.
In 82 games in the majors, Carrigg has a .270 batting average and .812 OPS with 78 hits, 10 home runs, 21 doubles, four triples, 45 RBI, 30 walks, nine stolen bases and 45 runs scored.
The Rockies entered just 5-21 in their past 26 games and had lost 11 of their previous 12 games against the Padres. Colorado, at 56-95, needs to win at least seven of its final 11 games to avoid becoming the first team with four consecutive 100-loss seasons since the New York Mets from 1962-65.
Colorado is also playing some spoiler as the regular season nears its end, as an eight-game win streak for the Padres was snapped. San Diego entered 2 1/2 games ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks for the final National League wild-card spot.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
