For the third time in the last four games, a San Diego Padres Spring Training game was decided by one run. Unfortunately for the Padres, it was the Colorado Rockies who were at the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning and it was Zac Veen who hit a one-out solo home run to center field just to the right of the batters eye to give the Rockies a 3-2 walk-off win at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Ariz. on Friday.
San Diego took the lead early in the game when Manny Machado collected his seventh RBI in to games with a bases loaded sacrifice fly to right-center field to give the Padres a 1-0 lead in the top of the third. San Diego scored its second run of the game in the top of the eighth inning when Samad Taylor hit a two-out a single through the left side of the infield that scored Tirso Ornelas to tie the game, 2-2.
Veen connected on his game-winning home run when Padres reliever Sean Boyle left an 89.1 mph fastball out over the plate on a 1-0 count. Veen took his trip around the bases much to the delight of his teammates and the home field crowd and Boyle and his teammates walked off the field and made their return to Peoria, Ariz.
Jake Cronenworth, Ramon Laureano and Sung-Mun Song were the only San Diego starters to record a hit against Colorado pitching. Taylor had the only other hit for the Padres in the game with his eight-inning RBI-single.
Randy Vasquez started on the mound for San Diego and turned in another solid outing. He finished 2.2 innings and did not allow a hit. Vasquez did issue to walks, but he also recorded four strikeouts.
The Padres return to the Peoria Sports Complex to take on the Seattle Mariners on Saturday at 12:10 p.m. San Diego opened Cactus League play against Seattle on Feb. 20 last time the teams met, and the Padres took a 7-4 loss.
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