Tulowitzki has 2 homers, 7 RBIs as Rockies beat NL West-leading Padres 9-6

Tulo’s 2 homers powers Rox to 9-6 win over Padres

DENVER — Troy Tulowitzki had his third multihomer game in a little more than a week, setting a career high with seven RBIs to help the Colorado Rockies beat the NL West-leading Padres 9-6 Wednesday and avoid a series sweep.

The Padres began the day with a 1½-game division lead over the second-place San Francisco Giants, who hosted the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night.

Tulowitzki has four multihomer games in his career, three in an eight-day span. He has 11 homers in his last 13 games.

With Tulowitzki hitting a pair of three-run homers and an RBI single, and Jorge De La Rosa giving the beleaguered bullpen a break by pitching into the eighth, the Rockies climbed within 2½ games of San Diego. They also closed within 2½ games of Atlanta in the NL wild-card race.

Adrian Gonzalez nearly matching Tulowitzki’s offensive production. The first baseman hit two homers, including a three-run shot in the eighth that wiped out half of a 9-3 deficit. He finished with five RBIs and increased his season total to 29 homers.

Huston Street pitched a perfect ninth for his 19th save in 23 chances.

De La Rosa (8-4) snapped a string of short outings by Colorado starters, giving up five runs and six hits in 7 1-3 innings.

Colorado starters have been awful of late, overtaxing the bullpen. That cost them dearly Tuesday night when Edgmer Escalona’s failure to cover first base on a grounder to Todd Helton in the ninth inning led to the decisive run in a 7-6 loss.

Clayton Richard (12-8) gave up a season-high eight runs and 11 hits in three innings.

Colorado won the final game of a three-game series — not exactly what the team had in mind when the slumping Padres arrived at Coors Field on Monday. The Rockies were riding a 10-game winning streak and had designs on overtaking the Padres.

NL MVP candidate Carlos Gonzalez finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs, increasing his NL leads in batting average (.341) and RBIs (106).

Tulowitzki is making a late MVP push, as well, despite missing 33 games with a broken wrist. He went 3 for 5 to raise his average to .325, second to Carlos Gonzalez. During a 10-game homestand, he batted .375 with nine homers and 21 RBIs.

In the eighth inning, though, the Padres elected to walk Carlos Gonzalez with a runner on second and pitch to Tulowitzki. It’s a strategy that worked as right-hander Ernesto Frieri retired Tulowitzki on a hard lineout to left.

Richard gave up a three-run homer to Tulowitzki in the third. An inning later, Richard was pulled with the slugger stepping into the batter’s box.

Reliever Edward Mujica gave up Tulowitzki’s second three-run drive, almost to the same spot in left as the first.

Rockies manager Jim Tracy gave some thought to starting defensive stalwart Clint Barmes at second base, a day after Eric Young Jr. committed two errors. But Tracy elected to stick with the young player.

“I wasn’t real good every single day I played, either,” Tracy said.

Young rewarded his manager’s faith in the opening inning, bunting his way onto first base. He later scored on a sharp single by Tulowitzki.

However, Young threw wildly to first in the fifth and was replaced an inning later by Barmes.

NOTES: The Padres claimed RHP Cesar Carrillo off waivers from the Phillies and designated RHP Craig Italiano for assignment. … Tracy said before the game that, depending on circumstances, he wouldn’t be opposed to using 18-game winner Ubaldo Jimenez on short rest down the stretch. … The Rockies are 20-6 at home since July 29.