DENVER — In a historically high-scoring series, the outcome was decided by a pinch-hitting pitcher.
On a bases-loaded walk, no less, off a starter who was making his first major league relief appearance.
That seems appropriate for such a wacky series.
The Padres and Rockies set a modern-era record by combining for 92 runs in a four-game series, with San Diego pitcher Matt Strahm drawing a pinch-hit, bases-loaded walk in the ninth inning to rally past Colorado 14-13 Sunday.
“A four-game series here, it feels like a month,” first baseman Eric Hosmer said. “This was a grind.”
It was just another wild day at Coors Field in this split series where the Rockies outscored the Padres 48-44 while the teams combined for 131 hits. Colorado’s Charlie Blackmon became the first player since at least 1900 with 15 hits in a four-game series, according to STATS. Adding to the zaniness: the finale was delayed once to clean up a big puddle in foul territory despite sunny skies, and again later because of weather.
“That’s the great thing about baseball — you see things you’ve never seen before,” Rockies infielder Ryan McMahon said. “It didn’t bounce our way.”
Trailing 13-10 in the ninth, Wil Myers had an RBI single and Greg Garcia promptly tied it with a two-out, two-run triple off closer Wade Davis (1-2). The Rockies brought in starter Jon Gray, who intentionally walked two batters to face Strahm after the Padres used up all their position players. Gray fell behind 3-1 before throwing a strike. Strahm watched a 98-mph fastball narrowly miss for ball four.
“The 3-2 was down and I know I can’t handle that with his velocity,” Strahm said.
Rockies manager Bud Black said he went with Gray — the starter Thursday — because of his usual ability to throw strikes. Plus, the Rockies had some relievers who weren’t available given their work load.
Gerardo Reyes (3-0) earned the win by striking out three in the eighth. Kirby Yates threw a perfect ninth for his 24th save.
Hunter Renfroe homered twice for San Diego, and Fernando Tatis Jr. had three hits, including a double and a triple.
All told, the four games took more than 16 hours to complete.
“I can’t really explain some of the things that went on and honestly I’m just happy to get out of here for a split, for sure,” Garcia said.
ROYALS 8, TWINS 6
MINNEAPOLIS — Martín Maldonado celebrated Father’s Day by wearing a blue necktie on his chest protector and had three hits to lift the Royals over the Twins.
Maldonado had several names scribbled on the tie, along with “Happy Father’s Day.” Pittsburgh Pirates backstop Elias Diaz wore the same tie in a game against Atlanta, which appeared to be provided by equipment manufacturer All-Star.
Jorge López (1-6) pitched 2 1/3 innings in relief for the win.
Martín Pérez (7-3) surrendered five runs — four earned — in 6 2/3 innings for Minnesota.
DODGERS 3, CUBS 2
LOS ANGELES — Russell Martin singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning off Steve Cishek (1-4), Alex Verdugo made a game-saving catch for the final out and Los Angeles rallied to beat Chicago.
Cody Bellinger hit his 23rd homer in front of his parents on Father’s Day.
Kenley Jansen earned his 21st save the hard way. He gave up a leadoff single to Albert Almora Jr. and walked Jason Heyward to put the tying and go-ahead runs on base. Pinch-hitter Kyle Schwarber grounded out, moving Almora to third and Heyward to second. Pinch-hitter Victor Caratini bounced a short grounder to the right side, and Jansen fielded and fired home to get Almora at the plate for the second out.
With Heyward at third, Javier Bàez flied out to center and Verdugo made a running catch to preserve the win, diving onto his stomach shortly after the ball fell into his glove.
Ross Stripling (3-2) got the victory with one inning of relief.
RED SOX 8, ORIOLES 6, 10 innings
BALTIMORE — Rafael Devers led off the 10th inning with a home run after Marco Hernandez tied it with a solo shot in ninth, and the Red Sox beat the Orioles.
After winning the first two games of the series in blowout fashion, the Red Sox used some late heroics to complete the sweep and extend their winning streak to five.
Mychal Givens (0-4) served up a 1-0 pitch that Devers slammed far over the center-field wall. Mookie Betts and Christian Vazquez added two-out, two-run singles off David Hess.
Brandon Workman (5-1) worked the ninth for the Red Sox. Boston’s eighth pitcher, Josh Smith, gave up a two-run homer to Stevie Wilkerson and a bases-empty drive to Trey Mancini in the 10th.
INDIANS 8, TIGERS 0
DETROIT — Trevor Bauer pitched his first shutout as a pro, ending the longest winless streak of his career as the Indians beat the Tigers.
Bauer (5-6) gave up four hits, struck out eight and walked none. This was his 224th start since being drafted out of UCLA, including 166 in the majors.
Rookie Oscar Mercado drove in four runs and Jason Kipnis homered and drove in three. The Indians are 18-7 against Detroit since the beginning of last season and outscored them 25-6 in this set at Comerica Park.
Spencer Turnbull (3-6) allowed a season-high six earned runs.
RAYS 6, ANGELS 5
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Yandy Diaz hit an RBI single during Tampa Bay’s two-run eighth inning, and the Rays held off Los Angeles’ late rally to beat the Angels.
Mike Trout hit a two-run homer off Diego Castillo in the ninth to make it a one-run game. After Shohei Ohtani singled and went to second on Albert Pujols’ grounder, Castillo completed his seventh save by striking Kole Calhoun.
Tommy Pham put the Rays ahead 4-3 with a solo shot against Griffin Canning (2-3) in the fifth.
CARDINALS 4, METS 3
NEW YORK — Paul DeJong tagged the Mets again, hitting a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning that sent the Cardinals over New York.
The Cardinals won despite getting outhit 10-3. They took three of four in the series, and DeJong homered in each victory.
DeJong is 30 for 83 (.361) with nine homers and 10 doubles against the Mets overall. He connected off Chris Flexen (0-3) for a solo drive.
Paul Goldschmidt hit a prodigious home run off the facade of the second deck and scored twice for St. Louis.
Andrew Miller (3-2) pitched a scoreless seventh to earn the victory and Carlos Martinez went two innings for his second save.
BRAVES 15, PHILLIES 1
ATLANTA — Josh Donaldson homered for the third straight game, Mike Foltynewicz allowed only one run in six innings and the Braves beat the Phillies.
The Braves, who had their eight-game winning streak snapped with a 6-5 loss to the Phillies on Saturday night, won two of three in the series. Atlanta leads Philadelphia by 2½ games in the NL East.
Mike Foltynewicz (2-5) walked five batters but allowed only four hits with six strikeouts.
Vince Velasquez (2-4) lasted 2 1/3 innings in his first start since May 6.
NATIONALS 15, DIAMONDBACKS 5
WASHINGTON — Matt Adams homered twice and drove in a career-high seven runs, Anibal Sanchez got his 100th career victory, and the Nationals beat the Diamondbacks.
Adams, Anthony Rendon and Kurt Suzuki homered off Arizona reliever Zack Godley, and Adams added a grand slam against Stefan Crichton in the eighth. Adams has nine career multihomer games.
Sanchez (3-6) pitched six innings, allowing two runs and six hits while striking out three.
Archie Bradley (2-4) took the loss.
BREWERS 5, GIANTS 3
SAN FRANCISCO — Eric Thames and Jesús Aguilar homered to help the Brewers avoid a sweep with a victory over the Giants.
Christian Yelich had two doubles, extending his season-high hitting streak to 13 games. The reigning NL MVP is batting .472 (25 for 53) with five homers over that stretch.
Matt Albers (3-2) pitched the fifth for the win. Josh Hader pitched a perfect two final innings, striking out three, to get his 17th save in 18 chances.
Thames’ homer, his 10th of the season, off Giants starter Jeff Samardzija (3-6) in the fifth gave the Brewers a 4-2 lead.
REDS 11, RANGERS 3
CINCINNATI — Jesse Winker homered and set career highs with four hits and five RBIs, Yasiel Puig added a two-run shot, and the Reds beat the Rangers to avoid a three-game sweep.
Sonny Gray (3-5) worked around Shin-Soo Choo’s solo home run and Hunter Pence’s two-run shot to finish five innings in a game that was delayed at the start by 1 hour, 34 minutes.
Ariel Jurado (4-3), who won each of his previous three starts, lasted three batters into the fourth inning.
YANKEES 10, WHITE SOX 3
CHICAGO — James Paxton pitched six effective innings, Brett Gardner and Austin Romine each had four RBIs and the Yankees cruised past the White Sox.
Gardner and Romine, the backup catcher behind Gary Sánchez, each drove in two runs with singles in New York’s five-run third.
Paxton (4-3) allowed eight hits and allowed two runs for his first win since April 26.
Chicago’s Odrisamer Despaigne (0-2) allowed seven runs.
PIRATES 5, MARLINS 4
MIAMI — Josh Bell’s go-ahead double in the seventh helped lead the Pirates over the Marlins.
The Pirates rallied from a 4-2 deficit on Corey Dickerson’s pinch-hit RBI double off Miami starter Sandy Alcantara in the sixth and took the lead in the seventh against reliever Nick Anderson (2-3) on Melky Cabrera’s game-tying triple and Bell’s double that scored Cabrera.
Richard Rodríguez (1-3) pitched a scoreless sixth and Austin Dean closed the game for this 16th save.
BLUE JAYS 12, ASTROS 0
HOUSTON — Trent Thornton shut down his former team into the seventh inning, Teoscar Hernández hit two of Toronto’s five home runs and the Blue Jays hammered the Astros.
Freddy Galvis and Hernández each hit three-run homers in a seven-run sixth inning. Hernández added a solo drive in the ninth off Tyler White, who started the game at first base.
Thornton (2-5) scattered six singles, struck out seven and walked three in 6 2/3 innings.
Brad Peacock (6-4) went five innings and allowed four runs for the second straight start.
MARINERS 6, ATHLETICS 3
OAKLAND, Calif. — Kyle Seager hit a two-run double soon after right fielder Mark Canha appeared to lose a flyball in the sun, and the Mariners rallied in the eighth inning to beat the Athletics.
Mallex Smith homered for the second time in three games for the last-place Mariners, a day after they traded AL home run leader Edwin Encarnación to the New York Yankees.
Mike Leake (6-6) matched his season high with seven strikeouts in seven innings. Roenis Elías pitched the ninth for his seventh save.
Lou Trivino (2-5) took the loss.
