Associated Press Sports
updated 11:01 p.m. ET June 30, 2012
DENVER (AP) - Yasmani Grandal stepped off the plane and made baseball history.
Grandal, called up from Triple-A before Saturday's game, homered from both sides of the plate for his first two hits in the majors and led the San Diego Padres to an 8-4 win over the Colorado Rockies.
"I can't describe how remarkable this is," Grandal said. "Just getting the call-up was surreal. To get called up and hit two home runs for my first two hits, it's just incredible."
It was the first time a player has homered from both sides of the plate for his first two major league hits, according to the Padres, with information supplied from Elias Sports Bureau.
Alexi Amarista, who hit a grand slam Thursday in Houston for his first big league homer, connected in consecutive innings for the Padres.
Grandal, who had one at-bat in his debut four weeks ago, flew out to right in the second before he hit a solo home run in the fourth off Christian Friedrich.
He said after fouling a ball off his foot in the second he felt zoned in on Friedrich's delivery.
"I told (hitting coach Phil) Plantier, `Don't worry, I'm pretty sure I've got this guy,"' Grandal said. "You could see his fastball. If you looked for it you could hit it. He made a mistake and he left it up and I put a good swing on it."
Grandal sent a two-run shot in the sixth into the left-field bleachers off Jeremy Guthrie (3-7) for a 3-2 lead.
"I didn't think that ball was going to go out at all," Grandal said. "I thought it hit the fence so I slowed down coming into second and then I saw (Carlos) Quentin stop."
The two homers were a nice birthday present for manager Bud Black, who turned 55 on Saturday. Black is 5-0 on his birthday and 3-0 against the Rockies.
"I'll take it," Black said. "I've seen a lot of debuts, but this has to rank up there with some of the best. You don't hit two homers in your first major league start. It was very impressive."
The Rockies were impressed with Grandal's debut.
"He's a big, strong kid and he just flicked his hands on it and it went way out," Friedrich said. "I was wondering why we didn't have video on him. It's because it's his first game."
Amarista homered to lead off the seventh inning before the Padres broke it open in the eighth off Adam Ottavino, scoring four times for an 8-2 lead. Cameron Maybin hit an RBI single with two outs and Amarista followed with a three-run homer.
"Amarista, following up on the grand slam Thursday and today two homers, he's swinging the bat well," Black said. "He got a couple of pitches in his zone and he didn't miss them."
Edinson Volquez (5-7) gave up one earned run and three hits in six innings and Chris Denorfia added three hits for the Padres.
Wilin Rosario homered for the Rockies. Jordan Pacheco had an RBI single and Chris Nelson a run-scoring double in the eighth for Colorado.
The Rockies had just two hits through the first five innings but led 2-1. Rosario tied it at 1 when he led off the fifth with his 13th homer of the season. Pinch hitter Eric Young walked and scored when Grandal, the catcher, overthrew Dexter Fowler's sacrifice bunt.
Volquez worked hard to hold the Rockies down, walking six and striking out eight. He escaped two jams by getting Carlos Gonzalez to ground into double plays.
"He pitched well," Black said. "The only hiccup were the base on balls."
Friedrich, working within the 75-pitch limit dictated by Colorado's four-man rotation, allowed just one run and five hits and struck out five in five innings. His only mistake was Grandal's homer in the fourth.
"It's how I'm supposed to pitch. I need to hit the zone, especially with this new pitch count," Friedrich said.
NOTES: To make room for Grandal, the Padres optioned C Nick Hundley to Triple-A Tucson. ... Gonzalez extended his hitting streak to nine games with a single in the eighth. ... Rockies RHP Juan Nicasio (left hamstring strain) threw 45 pitches in a simulated game. The team will decide Sunday on the next step in the pitcher's rehab schedule. ... The Padres will send RHP Kip Wells (0-1) to the mound Sunday while the Rockies are expected to recall LHP Drew Pomeranz (0-2) from Triple-A to start for them.
? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/48029912/ns/sports-baseball/
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