Ethan Salas becomes youngest catcher with a multi-homer game as Padres beat Rockies 9-3

DENVER — Ethan Salas hit his first two home runs and became the youngest catcher in major league history with a multi-homer game as the San Diego Padres beat the Colorado Rockies 9-3 on Wednesday night.

San Diego moved 3 1/2 games ahead of Arizona for the last National League wild card when the Diamondbacks lost 4-3 to Miami at home.

Salas opened the second inning with a first-pitch shot off Rockies starter Mason Adams (0-1) that traveled 426 feet to center field, becoming the youngest catcher to homer in the majors since 19-year-old Iván Rodríguez in 1991.

Salas added a two-run drive that capped San Diego’s four-run fifth and made it 8-1. At 20 years, 107 days, he broke the record held by Butch Wynegar, who was 20 years, 192 days when he hit two home runs for Minnesota on Sept. 22, 1976.

San Diego (83-69) won for the ninth time in 10 games and prevented the rival Los Angeles Dodgers from clinching the NL West title — at least for one night.

Robbie Ray (13-8) allowed three runs and three hits with six strikeouts in six innings for the Padres.

Samad Taylor and Ty France each drove in two runs for San Diego, and Jackson Merrill had three hits.

France hit a sacrifice fly that drove in Fernando Tatis Jr. Jake Cronenworth added an RBI single to give the Padres a 2-0 lead in the first inning.

Kyle Karros hit a two-run homer in the sixth for the Rockies, and Adael Amador had an RBI groundout in the first.

Taylor singled leading off the fourth, stole second base and scored on a triple by Dustin Harris to make it 4-1. Taylor added a two-run single in the fifth.

Adams allowed six runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Up next

Padres RHP Michael King (11-9, 3.03 ERA) starts Thursday against RHP Tanner Gordon (1-4, 5.55) in the series finale.