Padres Win 14th Straight

Bruce Bochy knows exactly what sort of managerial style to utilize these days on his San Diego Padres.

"When you're in something like this, you just enjoy the ride and stay out of the way," said Bochy, whose Padres coasted to their 14th straight victory Friday night.

Reggie Sanders had four hits, including a two-run homer, as San Diego routed Colorado 15-3, sending the Rockies to their ninth straight loss.

The Padres extended the best winning streak in team history and matched the longest in the majors since Kansas City won 14 straight in 1994.

Pinch-hitters Phil Nevin and Carlos Baerga also homered for the Padres. Rookie Ben Davis drove in three runs.

Sterling Hitchcock (7-6) pitched eight innings for the win.

"Our guys are just playing outstanding baseball," Bochy said. "You don't put a streak like this together unless you play great baseball. It's just fun to watch."

"Hitchcock gave us a clutch outing because we needed to rest the bullpen a little bit. He came through with a great effort. Guys are swinging the bats. We're getting timely hits. It's a nice roll to get on."

Sanders said he and his teammates are playing with "so much confidence right now. If we get down by five runs, we feel we will still beat you."

"This team was put together with people that play with a lot of hustle and enthusiasm. We give 100 percent every game."

Larry Walker hit a 464-foot homer for the Rockies, and pinch-hitter Jeff Barry hit his first major league home run.

The Rockies, of course, are headed in the opposite direction, a slump that is frustrating manager Jim Leyland.

"They jumped on us real early, and that's the worst medicine a team that's struggling can have," he said.

"We're just playing bad baseball in all areas. I take it very personal because this club is not respondng to me. This is killing me, but it's not going to entice me to yell and scream at my players. It starts with me. We're all in this together."

In the first, Eric Owens doubled and Sanders and Vander Wal connected off Pedro Astacio (7-7).

Damian Jackson led off the second with a double and scored on Owens' single.

San Diego scored four times in the third, highlighted by Quilvio Veras' shot through the legs of third baseman Vinny Castilla for a two-run single. Dave Magadan and Davis each had RBI singles earlier in the inning.

Kurt Abbott and Astacio had singles in the second and Neifi Perez added a run-scoring single, but the Rockies ran themselves out of a bigger inning when Astacio hesitated at second base on a relay that got past catcher Davis and was thrown out easily at third.

Astacio settled down, facing only three batters in each of the next three innings, but the Padres chased him in the seventh. Sanders led off with a double and Ruben Rivera walked. With two outs, Davis doubled into the gap in right-center off Chuck McElroy to make it 10-2.

Wally Joyner added a two-run double off Dave Wainhouse in the eighth.

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