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Colorado Rockies history: Jon Gray strikes out 16 San Diego Padres

By Noah Yingling |
DENVER, CO - JULY 19: Starting pitcher Jon Gray #55 of the Colorado Rockies throws in the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Coors Field on July 19, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - JULY 19: Starting pitcher Jon Gray #55 of the Colorado Rockies throws in the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Coors Field on July 19, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
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DENVER, CO – JULY 19: Starting pitcher Jon Gray. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
DENVER, CO – JULY 19: Starting pitcher Jon Gray. Photo courtesy of Getty Images. /

Over the past few months, we have done a tournament of the 32 best moments in Colorado Rockies franchise history. Today, we continue the tournament by recalling an event from recent Rockies history. It only took place a little more than a season ago.

On Saturday, September 17, 2016, the Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres faced each other on a warm night, 77 degrees to be exact. Both teams were well out of the playoff race as the Rockies were eight games back of the second Wild Card spot and the Padres were even further behind as they were 16 games back of the second Wild Card spot and they entered the night tied for the second worst record in the National League.

However, there was some action that night as the Rockies offense was alive and well but, more importantly, Rockies aces Jon Gray was on his A game. He would strike out 16 Padres on this night. Here is the starting lineup that he faced that night.

San Diego Padres (62-85, tied for last place in the NL West)

  1. Travis Jankowski, CF
  2. Luis Sardinas, SS
  3. Wil Myers, 1B
  4. Ryan Schimpf, 3B
  5. Jon Jay, LF
  6. Oswaldo Arcia, RF
  7. Derek Norris, C
  8. Future Rockie Alexi Amarista, 2B
  9. Edwin Jackson, SP

The Rockies starting lineup would look like this

  1. Charlie Blackmon, CF
  2. DJ LeMahieu, 2B
  3. Carlos Gonzalez, RF
  4. Nolan Arenado, 3B
  5. David Dahl, LF
  6. Tom Murphy, C
  7. Gerardo Parra, 1B
  8. Daniel Descalso,  SS
  9. Jon Gray, SP

Here is how the game unfolded.

PHOENIX, AZ – OCTOBER 04: Starting pitcher Jon Gray #55 of the Colorado Rockies pitches during the bottom of the first inning of the National League Wild Card game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on October 4, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ – OCTOBER 04: Starting pitcher Jon Gray #55 of the Colorado Rockies pitches during the bottom of the first inning of the National League Wild Card game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on October 4, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) /

The second batter of the game was Luis Sardinas and Gray notched his first strikeout of the evening with him and he retired the side after allowing a single, but picking off Wil Myers after Rockies manager Walt Weiss successfully challenged the call.

In the bottom of the first inning, the Rockies got all the offense they would need as they would get two, two-run homers off the bats of Nolan Arenado and Tom Murphy.

The top of the second came around and Gray would make history as he became the 77th different pitcher (with the 83rd time overall) to strike out four players in an inning as he struck out Ryan Schimpf, Jon Jay, Oswaldo Arcia, and Derek Norris. Jay struck out looking but the catcher, Tom Murphy, had a passed ball that allowed Jay to reach first base.

In the third inning, with it still being a 4-0 Rockies lead, Jon Gray struck out future teammate Alexi Amarista and his counterpart Edwin Jackson to bring his strike out tally to seven.

He’d add two more by striking out Myers and Schmipf in the fourth inning to bring his total on the evening to nine.

DENVER, CO – SEPTEMBER 17: Jon Gray. Getty Images.
DENVER, CO – SEPTEMBER 17: Jon Gray. Getty Images. /

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In the bottom of the fourth, Charlie Blackmon would add to the Rockies 4-0 lead as he would hit a two-out RBI triple to make it 5-0 Rockies.

In the top of the fifth, the Padres would go down one-two-three as Gray would strike out two more Padres as he would strike out Amarista and Jackson to end the inning.

In the bottom of the fifth, Tom Murphy hit his second home run for the evening as he cashed in on a three run homer to bring the Rockies lead to 8-0 and bring his RBI total for the evening up to five. That homer also knocked starter Edwin Jackson out of the game.

That would be all the runs that the Rockies would score but Gray would keep on racking up the strikeouts. He would strike out Wil Myers again in the sixth inning and strike out Schimpf again and Arcia in the seventh to bring his total to fourteen.

For the first inning all night, Gray would not strike anybody out in the eighth inning but he would end the game by striking out pinch-hitter Adam Rosales looking and Ryan Schimpf swinging for the “golden sombrero” in as many plate appearances.

Next: How Jonathan Lucroy impacted Ryan McMahon's career

Voting in the tournament

Check out our Twitter poll on whether this moment or the 1995 Rockies making the playoffs is the better moment in franchise history.

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