San Diego, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Rymer Liriano's first career home run, a two-run blast, helped the San Diego Padres complete a three-game sweep with a 5-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday.
Jedd Gyorko finished 4-for-4 with two doubles and a run scored and Abraham Almonte also homered for the Padres, who won their fifth straight game.
Ian Kennedy (9-10) earned the win after giving up three runs on six hits with eight strikeouts in six innings of work.
"We are playing better all around," said Padres manager Bud Black. "We are probably pitching better the past few weeks and our at-bats are better for sure."
DJ LeMahieu homered and scored twice and Justin Morneau hit an RBI double for Colorado, which has dropped six of its last seven.
Starter Tyler Matzek (2-8) allowed five runs and eight hits with two walks and nine strikeouts over six frames in defeat.
"I thought his stuff was good, but they got to him a couple of times," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said about Matzek.
The Padres wasted no time getting on the board. Yangervis Solarte and Gyorko both singled to place runners at the corners with one out in the first before Rene Rivera's base hit into center made it a 1-0 game.
LeMahieu and Matzek both got aboard with one-out singles in the third and Charlie Blackmon's liner to the right-field corner plated LeMahieu for a 1-1 ball game.
In the fourth, Chris Nelson singled before Liriano crushed an 0-1 fastball to left field for a 3-1 Padres lead.
LeMahieu blasted a leadoff shot just over the left-field wall in the fifth to get the Rockies within one. Drew Stubbs worked a two-out walk, stole second and came home on Morneau's double to left for a 3-3 score.
San Diego reclaimed the lead after Gyorko doubled to lead off the home half and came home on Yasmani Grandal's sacrifice fly to left.
Almonte made it 5-3 with a solo blast to left with one out in the sixth.
The Padres bullpen was effective the rest of the way, allowing just three hits over three frames. Nick Vincent struck out the side in the seventh, Alex Torres and Blaine Boyer combined for a scoreless eighth and Joaquin Benoit stranded runners at second and third in the ninth for his seventh save of the season.
Game Notes
Solarte left in the seventh inning with a mild left oblique strain after fielding Blackmon's grounder to first. He was replaced at shortstop by Alexi Amarista ... The Padres completed their third sweep of the season ... Gyorko tied a career-high with four hits. He also registered four hits against the Rockies on June 7, 2013 ... Colorado left fielder Corey Dickerson and Morneau each extended their hitting streaks to seven games.