Rockies’ Baylor Gambles, Loses

With a runner on third, two out and the scored tied in the seventh inning, Colorado Manager Don Baylor had to pick his poison, Tony Gwynn or Ken Caminiti.

Baylor had reliever Mike De Jean intentionally walk Gwynn, and Caminiti followed with a go-ahead double that helped the Padres defeat the Rockies, 4-2, Friday night in the first meeting this year between the NL West rivals.

“With Gwynn you know what you’re going to get there,” Baylor said. “Caminiti was 0 for four [lifetime] against De Jean.”

Caminiti agreed with Baylor’s move.

“I had a couple of tough at-bats against him [De Jean] last year,” Caminiti said. “Tony’s swinging the bat real good, and I’m swinging pretty good lately, but Tony’s going to put the ball in play.”

It turned out that Caminiti was just as dangerous. The opposite-field double into the Padres’ bullpen in left, on a 3-0 fastball away, scored Chris Gomez and was Caminiti’s 12th hit in his last seven games.

Steve Finley and Carlos Hernandez hit consecutive homers opening the fifth, the third time the Padres have done that this year, and Gomez added a run-scoring double in the eighth.