DENVER _ Colorado Rockies right-hander Antonio Senzatela went to the mound Tuesday to make his second start in the majors. Padres right-hander Jered Weaver went to the mound for his 324th.
The 22-year-old and the 34-year-old did share something in common. Neither had pitched at Coors Field, an unforgiving environment for even the most familiar arms, much less the uninitiated.
So it was to some surprise that at the end of six innings, the left-field scoreboard showed a series of low digits, the score tied.
Thought it would remain that way, it was the Rockies who made the most of their connections in a 3-2 decision. Leading off the bottom of the seventh, Nolan Arenado demolished a fastball from reliever Miguel Diaz, sending a solo shot, Colorado's third of the game, into the home bullpen.
The Rockies bullpen, which has been stout under former Padres manager Bud Black, preserved the lead over the next two innings, backing an impressive home debut by Senzatela.
The prospect finished with seven innings of two-run ball, limiting the Padres to five hits and a walk. He did not crumble after Manuel Margot opened the game with a 417-foot drive into the left-field seats, the Padres center fielder's second leadoff home run of the young season.
Nor did he buckle in the sixth, after the Padres strung together a pair of singles and Wil Myers lifted a sacrifice fly to center, giving the visitors a 2-1 lead.
In the top of the seventh, with two outs and two on, Black went to the mound. Senzatela did not leave it. Satisfied that the young pitcher was up to the moment, the manager returned to the dugout. Senzatela got Luis Sardinas to ground into a force out.
Sardinas had been pinch-hitting for Weaver, who put forth the type of effort the Padres will take on any night. The veteran minimized the damage against him to solo home runs from Carlos Gonzalez and Charlie Blackmon.
Unlike in his season debut at Dodger Stadium, when he also surrendered a pair of homers but gave up four runs overall, Weaver did not walk a batter. He struck out five.
Margot's game-opening blast staked him to a 1-0 lead. It was the Rookie of the Year candidate's third home run in nine games, a welcome start for a prospect known more for his non-power elements.
Myers, who hit for the Padres' second cycle Monday, tripled with one out in the fourth. He would be stranded at third. The Padres did not collect another extra-base hit.
Diaz took the mound after Weaver, having yet to allow a run in four appearances. The Rule 5 reliever had made a strong first impression, leading manager Andy Green to insert him in a high-leverage situation Tuesday.
On a 1-1 count, catcher Austin Hedges set his glove low and away. Diaz's 96-mph fastball arrived on the outer half of the plate but a few inches too high. Arenado redirected it 405 feet.
The mistake loomed large on a night the Padres struggled to sustain any sort of offense. The lineup compiled a total of five hits.
In the top of the ninth, Yangervis Solarte represented the tying run after drawing a leadoff walk. Ryan Schimpf flied out. Hunter Renfroe struck out. Hedges did the same, sealing an 0 for 23 start at the plate.
