Padres rookie makes history in 21-run win

The San Diego Padres are having a special season, and Saturday’s game was just another example of it. San Diego defeated the Colorado Rockies in a 21-0 game. Padres pitcher Stephen Kolek also had a special day.

Kolek became the second player to pitch a complete game in a shutout of at least 20 runs in Major League Baseball history, per USA Today.

The Padres hurler accomplished the feat in just his second career start, which made the effort even more memorable. Against lowly Colorado, Kolek allowed just five hits. He also struck out seven batters in his epic performance.

The Padres are having a special season in the National League West. After defeating the Rockies Saturday, the Padres hold a 25-13 record.

The Padres have led with pitching this year

San Diego has now won eight of their last 10 games. The Padres pitchers have really put up some great performances so far this year.

The club has the fourth best ERA in MLB, per league stats. San Diego has a 3.08 ERA among its staff. Only the New York Mets, Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers are doing better in that category.

The club’s hurlers also lead MLB in shutouts. San Diego now has nine shutouts this season, which is far ahead of the next team Kansas City. The Royals have six shutouts.

That stellar pitching is leading to great hitting. The Padres blasted 24 hits against the Rockies on Saturday. It was truly a low point for a Rockies team mired in disaster this campaign. Colorado has just six wins on the year.

San Diego, meanwhile, is having a great year. The Padres are a pleasant surprise in the National League. Before the season, the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets grabbed the bulk of the headlines due to all the money they spent on their rosters. As of Sunday, the Padres are tied with the Dodgers for first in the NL West.

The Padres and Rockies play again on Sunday.