DENVER _ The Padres and Rockies began their series opener Friday with a quintessential Coors Field experience. The Padres collected a couple runs. The Rockies responded with a quartet. The Padres shot back with a trio, then tacked on some more. The Rockies pulled back to within two scores, creating late intrigue.
In the top of the ninth, the sudden arrival of a hailstorm sent fans and players alike scurrying for cover. So close to the finish line, the tarp was pulled, the game delayed. Thirty-eight minutes later, it resumed.
The most crushing blows came after that. In the bottom of the ninth, the Rockies tied the game on a pair of RBI singles off Padres closer Brandon Maurer. Then, with two outs, pinch-hitter Daniel Descalso drilled a walk-off single over center fielder Travis Jankowski's head. The Rockies won, 8-7, after trailing by three runs for most of the game.
Padres first baseman Wil Myers supplied the first lead, launching a two-run homer in the night's third at-bat. That made Myers the first Padres player to ever post a season with at least 25 doubles, at least 25 home runs and at least 25 stolen bases.
That accomplishment tucked away, the Padres faced a challenge early on. Former Rockies left-hander Christian Friedrich, who finished with five innings of four-run ball, allowed all four of those runs in the second.
RBI swings from Alex Dickerson and Luis Sardinas put the Padres back ahead, 5-4, in the third.
In the sixth, Sardinas pummeled a solo home run, extending the lead to 7-4. A groundout RBI for the Rockies made it 7-5 in the seventh.
The seesaw continued going in the Rockies' favor after the delay. The home team totaled five hits, including four singles, in the final half-inning.
