SAN DIEGO -- Make it nine wins in a row to open the season in the friendly confines at Petco Park, and now a franchise record 13 straight home wins for the San Diego Padres after a 2-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Saturday night.
Fernando Tatis Jr. gave the Brown and Gold all the offense they would need with a solo home run to center field on San Diego's first at bat of the game, with Jason Heyward adding some insurance in the sixth inning on one out blast to right field for his first round-tripper with the Padres as San Diego recorded their fifth shutout of the season.
Tatis continues to excel at the top of the order, as he entered the night one of eight major leaguers with a 13-plus consecutive games on base streak, and the Padres have now won for the fourth time this season when Tatis has left the yard -- his four long balls lead the team and tied for 10th most in the National League.
Kyle Hart made the most of his third start of the season, allowing just one hit over six innings of work with four strikeouts and no walks. The 32-year old used his sweeper to keep Colorado batters off balance, throwing it 27 times and getting 12 combined called strikes and whiffs, while mixing in his 90-plus MPH fastballs and sinkers. It was a commanding effort to bounce back after lasting just 2/3 of an inning and taking the no decision in San Diego's furious rally at Chicago on April 6.
Robert Suarez earned his seventh save of the season after Jeremiah Estrada and Jason Adam held Colorado off the board in the seventh, then eighth innings. The Padres bullpen entered the night tops in the majors in opponent batting average (.149) and ERA (1.59) while ranking fifth in strikeouts (60).
The home run by Heyward was his first since his eventual two-run game-winner for Houston in a 4-3 home win against Seattle on September 24, 2024 and his first at Petco Park since he hit a pair as a member of the Chicago Cubs in a wild 9-8 Padres win on September 10, 2019.
San Diego will look for the three-game sweep against Colorado at 1:10 p.m. at Petco Park, with Michael King expected to start for the Padres and Kyle Freeland taking the hill for the Rockies.