May 10, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Stephen Kolek (32) gets water dumped on him after his complete game and shutout of the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: John Leyba-Imagn Images
Denver, Colorado – What’s harder: throwing a shutout at Coors Field or scoring 21 runs in a big-league game? For the San Diego Padres on Saturday night, the answer was simply: why not both?
In a game that felt more like a fever dream than a division matchup, the Padres steamrolled the Rockies 21–0 in Denver — a performance that ranks as one of the most dominant in franchise history and one of the ugliest losses Colorado has ever suffered.
Let’s start with Stephen Kolek. The man stunned the baseball world by tossing a total shutout in just his second MLB start. The 26-year-old right-hander, a Rule 5 pickup turned starter, allowed only five hits and struck out seven on 104 pitches. Pitching at Coors Field — notoriously a graveyard for ERAs — makes the feat all the more remarkable.
Kolek, who was converted back into a starter over the offseason, was sent to Triple-A to stretch out after narrowly missing a rotation spot in camp. He’s made the most of his opportunity since getting the call. “Whenever they were putting up five to eight runs an inning, it tends to get kind of cold in the dugout, so you’ve got to warm yourself back up,” he joked postgame.
The offense gave him plenty of time to do just that.
The Padres wasted no time piling on Rockies starter Bradley Blalock. Jackson Merrill opened the scoring with an RBI single in the first, then Gavin Sheets launched a 439-foot three-run homer to cap a five-run frame. From there, it snowballed.
Jake Cronenworth hit a solo blast in the third. In the fourth, the Friars exploded for eight runs, including a three-run shot from Jason Heyward. By the time Xander Bogaerts and Fernando Tatis Jr. went back-to-back in the fifth — Bogaerts with a solo shot, Tatis with a three-run bomb — it was 19–0. Eleven Padres collected hits, with Merrill (4-for-6) and Luis Arraez (3-for-4) leading the way.
Meanwhile, the Rockies hit rock bottom — literally. The loss was their eighth straight and dropped them to 6–33, matching the worst 39-game start in MLB history since the 1988 Orioles. Things got so bad that catcher Jacob Stallings pitched the final two innings, marking the second time in three days Colorado has used a position player on the mound.
Rockies manager Bud Black didn’t mince words: “I hate it. I hate that big-time.”
For the Padres, it’s a statement win — and a chance to sweep the Rockies for the second straight time on Sunday with Nick Pivetta set to face Germán Márquez. Padres fans, buckle up. This team is heating up — and making history along the way.
