Rockies sweep Padres to extend winning streak

SAN DIEGO — Here’s just about the only unwelcome news for the Rockies during their wild week of winning: They have an off-day on Thursday.

The Rockies are the hottest team in baseball, riding a seven-game winning streak after an 8-0 victory over the Padres on Wednesday afternoon at Petco Park. The way things are going, only the schedule can stop them from adding a daily ‘W’.

It will be a cheery group spending Thursday in San Francisco, hopping cable cars or exploring the Embarcadero. Though they certainly would rather be at Oracle Park — where their next series begins on Friday — they’ll undoubtedly enjoy the opportunity to look back on all that has gone right in the past week during their longest winning streak since an eight-gamer in 2019.

Here are seven things to savor for the Rockies about their past seven games:

1. So sweep
The Rockies secured their first sweep of more than two games in San Diego since April 12-14, 2013. They swept back-to-back series for the first time since May 27-June 2, 2019, when they took four from Arizona and three from Toronto. (That was part of the aforementioned eight-game winning streak).

2. Well-oiled rotation
Lefty Austin Gomber pitched six scoreless innings and allowed only two hits in the series finale to earn his first win of 2024. He also continued the rotation’s run of stellar starts. Rockies starters are 5-0 with a 1.96 ERA during the streak.

3. Beck drops some hits
Through Monday, rookie outfielder Jordan Beck had no RBIs through his first 13 MLB games. He had one on Tuesday, then five more on Wednesday. He also hit the first home run of his fledgling career.

4. Cave, man
Jake Cave started all three games in San Diego, the first time he has started three consecutive games for the Rockies. He played like a regular, making a clutch diving catch in right field in the ninth inning of the series opener. He had a hit and a run in each of the games.

5. Leather works
The middle win during this streak was a thing of beauty. Video should be sent to Rawlings corporate HQ. The defense wasn’t as spectacular in San Diego, Cave’s catch aside, but it remained exceptional. The Rockies, in fact, have committed only one error during the winning streak, none in the past five games.

6. Hitting is contagious
The Rockies have had at least seven hits in every game during the streak. They’ve reached double digits five times.

7. Happy homecoming
It has been a month shy of nine years since Padres general manager A.J. Preller fired Bud Black as Padres manager. Time heals all wounds, but a sweep against his former club in the area he calls home had to feel good.