Anderson's Strong Debut Leads Rockies To Beat Padres 2-1
DENVER (The Sports Xchange) - On rather short notice, Tyler Anderson made an impressive major league debut Sunday for the Colorado Rockies.
They recalled him Saturday with the intent of having Anderson pitch in long relief. But after Saturday's game, Anderson learned he would start Sunday.
He worked into the seventh as the Rockies beat the San Diego Padres 2-1 in the rubber game of their series. Mark Reynolds hit a tie-breaking home run in the seventh inning that left the Padres 1-20 in series finales and 0-10 on Sunday.
Anderson pitched 6 1/3 innings but was not involved in the decision because Gonzalez Germen (2-0) allowed a runner inherited from Anderson to score and tie the game in the seventh.
Anderson gave up six hits and one run with no walks and six strikeouts while throwing 60 of 92 pitches for strikes.
"It was Tyler Anderson's day to step up like that," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "Talk about a tough assignment to come in here and pitching like that. He pounded the zone. The changeup was a difference-maker. The fastball, changeup combination mixed in with the cutter -- he had all his weapons working. Great command. What a debut."
Anderson gave up consecutive two-out singles in the first but got Melvin Upton Jr. to hit into a force play. Upton Jr. was the first of 10 straight batters Anderson retired in his curious matchup with Christian Friedrich.
Both left-handers were taken in the first round by the Rockies -- Friedrich in the 2008 draft and Anderson in 2011. It was the fourth time in Rockies history that two former Rockies first-round picks have started against each other.
In Anderson's case, he had to overcome repeated injuries. He began this season on the disabled list with a strained right oblique after missing the entire 2015 season with a second stress fracture in his left elbow. Anderson also dealt with a left shoulder impingement and a sports hernia before finally savoring his major league debut.
"It's unbelievable," he said. "It took a long time to get here. It's that much more enjoyable."
Anderson worked out of trouble in the fifth when he gave up a leadoff single to Aleixei Ramirez and was called for a balk. Anderson got Brett Wallace to fly out, Adam Rosales to ground out and struck out Friedrich.
The Rockies released Friedrich on Feb. 19. He faced his former team for the first time and allowed two hits and one unearned run -- on a bases-loaded walk -- in six innings with three walks and a season-high nine strikeouts, one shy of his career high.
After giving up a one-out double and a walk in the first, Friedrich retired the next 15 batters he faced before Charlie Blackmon's infield single with one out in the sixth.
After shortstop Ramirez then muffed a grounder, Friedrich pitched carefully to Nolan Arenado and walked him. Friedrich struck out Carlos Gonzalez but forced in a run by walking Ryan Raburn.
"He pitched a tremendous game and deserved a win," Padres manager Andy Green said. "He should have been out of the sixth inning with a double-play ball that we didn't pick up for him. He could easily been pitching in the eighth."
Kevin Quackenbush (3-3) came on in the seventh and gave up a leadoff home run to Mark Reynolds, an opposite-field shot over the out-of-town scoreboard in right. Reynolds stepped to the plate with 240 career homers but just three in in 212 plate appearances this season.
That homer came after the Padres tied the game in the top of the seventh. Anderson gave up a leadoff double Ramirez and turned matters over to Germen with one out.
He retired pinch hitter Hector Sanchez on a popout but walked pinch hitter Alexi Amarista. Jon Jay lined a first-pitch, game-tying single.
With newly anointed Rockies closer Carlos Estevez unavailable -- he pitched two consecutive days and four of the past five -- Jason Motte began the ninth. Motte issued a two-out walk and gave way to left-hander Boone Logan with left-handed-hitting Amarista due up.
Switch-hitting Yangervis Solarte hit for Amarista, and Logan got him to ground out to earn his third career save and first since May 12, 2012, when he was pitching for the New York Yankees.
Anderson had 14 family members in the stands as well as some former teammates and coaches from the University of Oregon and didn't disappoint.
"He thinks at a different level," Weiss said. "He always has. And he prepares at a different level. So all that stuff is paying off."
NOTES: Rockies RHP Eddie Butler will work in long relief at least through Wednesday when Colorado concludes a two-game series with the New York Yankees. ... Padres 3B Yangervis Solarte, who left Saturday's game after the fourth inning with a left thumb contusion, was not in the lineup Sunday, but he appeared as a pinch hitter. ... Rockies C Tony Wolters (concussion) returned to Denver to be re-evaluated after playing two rehab games with Triple-A Albuquerque. He likely will be reinstated Tuesday. ... Rockies LHP Tyler Anderson is the fourth player to make his major league debut with the team this year. The others are SS Trevor Story, Wolters and RHP Carlos Estevez. ... Padres RHP Andrew Cashner (neck strain) told reporters he felt much better Sunday. He had to leave a start Friday after throwing just six pitches and might have an MRI in San Diego on Monday.
