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DENVER -- The Colorado Rockies spoiled the 2015 debut of Robbie Erlin and routed the San Diego Padres 10-2 on Saturday night. Colorado catcher Tommy Murphy, who went 3-for-5, hit his first career home run and had an RBI single after being hitless in his first eight career at-bats. Center fielder Charlies Blackmon had three hits and scored times for the Rockies, who were 8-for-19 with runners in scoring position and won for the sixth time in nine games.
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Third baseman Nolan Arenado drove in two runs for Colorado, increasing his National League-leading total to 114. Right fielder Carlos Gonzalez also drove in two runs and second baseman DJ LeMahieu added an RBI double for the Rockies, who scored four times in the first inning off Erlin (0-1), who was recalled from Triple-A El Paso on Monday, and then blew the game open with a three-run fourth when they knocked Erlin out and built an 8-1 lead.
"It's that time of the year where you can get down a little bit and not be in your right mind set going into the whole thing," Padres interim manager Pat Murphy said. "I was a little disappointed tonight. Robbie had a rough one, got us off to a bad start. I thought we'd fight back a little better. We usually do."
The Padres struck out 10 times in the final four innings and had one hit after the fifth.
Christian Bergman (3-0) allowed a solo home run to second baseman Jedd Gyorko in 3 1/3 innings after right-hander Yohan Flande exited after 2 2/3 innings when he was hit on the left knee by a line drive by Gyorko. The ball ricocheted off Flande into foul territory and he was diagnosed with a contusion of the left patellar tendon, although X-rays were negative.
"That hit him square on the knee," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "But he seems to be all right. I don't know how. He seems to be doing OK. He came out of it a lot better than I thought he would."
Bergman, who has made 27 relief appearances, been a valued long reliever in the Rockies' bullpen. He made his fourth appearance of three or more innings and 18 of at least two innings. Three of his past four outings have been at least two innings and in that stretch he has given up one run in 10 1/3 innings.
"You've just got to kind of roll with the punches and be flexible," Bergman said. "I just tried to go out there and get outs as quick as possible. That's what I'm trying to do _ at least get to the sixth or seventh inning."
If Bergman was continuing a familiar pattern, Murphy was in uncharted territory. He joined the Rockies on Sept. 11 after catcher Nick Hundley suffered a season-ending neck injury. This was the fourth game and third start for Murphy and his first action since Tuesday.
Murphy capped the four-run first with a two-out single off Erlin. On his third at-bat, Murphy led off the fifth with a home run, driving Marcus Mateo's 0-2 slider over the fence in center. Murphy sent center fielder Melvin Upton Jr. to the wall to haul in his deep drive in the sixth and then lined a single over shortstop to drive in the Rockies' final run in the eighth.
"After that first hit, I kind of relaxed and got a little more comfortable," Murphy said. "Each game you're here, you get a little more comfortable. I thought my approach the whole time I've been here has been pretty good, but tonight it came together."
Asked which was the bigger thrill, his first hit or first home run, Murphy chose the homer.
"That's something I'll never forget, for sure." he said. "He threw me three sliders in a row, and the third one I sat on it. He just left it up, at 0-2, and I was just looking slider. I thought off the bat it was (going out), to be honest with you. I hit it pretty well. It was a pitch that was up."
NOTES: Rockies RHP Jordan Lyles threw a 30-pitch simulated game, his first since he underwent season-ending surgery June 10 on a torn ligament in his left big toe, and he came out of it fine. Lyles will pitch about 40 innings in the Rockies' instructional league program in Scottsdale, Ariz., and their instructional league program in the Dominican Republic in November to get ready for spring training. ... Padres LHP Robbie Erlin, who made his 2015 debut Saturday, is the first left-handed pitcher to start for the Padres this season. The fewest starts by left-handed pitchers for the Padres in a season is three. In 1993, Bruce Hurst started two and Pat Gomez started one. In 2001, Sterling Hitchcock started three. ... Rockies RHP Christian Bergman was 1-for-26 when he singled in the third for his second major league hit. The other was on June 9, 2014, in his major league debut against Atlanta. He also scored his first run and drew his first walk.
