Franchy's HR ignites 9-run inning in rout of Rox

DENVER -- The Franch revolution is in full swing, and the rest of the Padres took their cues from the powerful rookie speedster on Monday night in Colorado.
Franchy Cordero launched a go-ahead two-run homer in the top of the seventh inning, sparking a nine-run frame and a much-needed breakout for a Padres offense that had struggled over the past week. After trailing to start the seventh, San Diego cruised to a 13-5 victory over the Rockies, its third in four games at Coors Field this season.
In the seventh inning alone, Cordero, Matt Szczur and Wil Myers had two hits apiece, and Eric Hosmer had two of his career-high four walks. It was the Padres' most prolific inning since they also posted a nine-spot on July 24, 2014, vs. the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
"It was a lot of fun," Cordero said. "I definitely enjoyed that inning, watching all of the guys have success."
Over the past few days, Cordero has put the rest of the baseball world on high alert with his otherworldly skill set. It was more of the same Monday night. Cordero's homer left his bat at 114 mph and traveled a projected 456 feet, according to Statcast™. Later in the frame, Cordero put his elite speed on display by legging out an infield single.

"It's an electric tool set that very few guys have in the game," said Padres manager Andy Green. "He can fly, he's got power, he can go get it [defensively]. He's a big physical man who hits balls hard."
Cordero's infield hit set the stage for Myers' two-run double, which gave the Padres their eighth and ninth runs of the inning -- more than they had scored all weekend in Arizona. Myers finished with a career-high-tying four hits, while Hosmer set a new career best by reaching base in six plate appearances.

It was the complete offensive display the Padres -- who lead the Majors in strikeouts -- have been searching for over the season's first month.
"I saw a lot of guys take pitches that we'd been swinging at," Green said. "You want to see that carry over to the next day."
The Padres opened the scoring on a strange sequence when Rockies starter Chad Bettis dropped the ball as he attempted to come set. He was called for a balk, and Myers scored the first of four runs in the frame. The Rockies answered immediately with four of their own.

It was another rough first inning for Bryan Mitchell, who limited the damage to only one more run. The bullpen followed with a dominant effort, allowing just one baserunner over the final 3 2/3 innings.

"If you can outlast the other starter, you're going to have a good chance as a team," Mitchell said. "That's the goal at that point, keep us in the game."
Mitchell did exactly that. The offense did the rest.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Strong start: Last week, Hosmer, Jose Pirela and Carlos Asuaje combined to go 9-for-68. They were more than happy to turn the page. Hosmer and Pirela each lined singles to right field in the top of the first, before Asuaje smashed a three-run homer, putting the Padres on top, 4-0. All three players would piece together multi-hit nights.

Hit 'em where they ain't: On a night when the Padres crushed baseballs all over the yard, amassing 16 hits in total, one of the key knocks was a jam-shot blooper from Cory Spangenberg. A late addition to the lineup after Christian Villanueva was sidelined with a sore left hamstring, Spangenberg fought off a 2-2 cutter from Rockies reliever Scott Oberg into short right field. It barely cleared the glove of second baseman DJ LeMahieu, plating two runs and giving the Padres a 9-5 lead.

ON-BASE MACHINE
By reaching base six times Monday night, Hosmer joined some pretty exclusive company in Padres history. He's just the fifth player to reach base six times in a nine-inning game, and the first since Adrián González did so in 2009. Dave Winfield, Craig Shipley and Jody Reed comprise the other three.
Organizationally, the Padres are desperate to reverse their on-base woes from the past two seasons. It played a factor in their decision to commit to Hosmer.
"Eric was outstanding," Green said. "They were trying to bust him in all day, and he just kept taking the pitches until he got some pitches out over the plate that he could hit. … It's a great message."
SOUND SMART
Cordero actually demolished two baseballs on Monday. His 114-mph laser home run wasn't even his hardest hit ball of the evening. In the second, Cordero hit a 116.5-mph rocket directly at Charlie Blackmon in center field. It was the hardest-hit ball of Cordero's career, according to Statcast™ (surpassing his 116.3-mph homer on Friday). He and Giancarlo Stanton are the only two players in the Majors to hit at least four balls of 115-plus-mph this season.
HE SAID IT
"Even on his BP swings, when he hits the ball 50 feet out of the stadium, it's like he's not even trying to do that. He's just staying through the middle of the field. He's gifted." -- Green, on Cordero
UP NEXT
Eric Lauer, the Padres' No. 12 prospect, has a tall task in front of him, making his first Major League start at hitter-friendly Coors Field. Only six opposing pitchers have debuted there as starters, and the results haven't been good. Those six pitchers have combined for a 7.27 ERA, and none have lasted longer than five innings. But the Padres believe the even-keel Lauer has the temperament to handle such conditions. Game time is 5:40 p.m. PT, and the Rockies will start Kyle Freeland.