DENVER (AP) -- Colorado native Chase Headley has enjoyed some of his best games at Coors Field, including a home run in his only at-bat in an All-Star game as a high school senior in 2002.
Nothing the San Diego third baseman has done could compare to the game he had Sunday against the Rockies when he had four hits and a career-best six RBIs in a game the Padres lost 11-10.
"I was swinging good and I found some holes," said Headley, who grew up in the suburbs of Colorado Springs. "I hit a couple of balls hard, hit a couple not as hard and was able to the holes today."
Headily drove in at least one run with each of his hits, including his 23rd homer of the season, a two-run shot in the first inning. Alexi Amarista had a career-best five hits for the Padres, who had a season-high 20 on the day.
"We have seen the growth of the player this year," San Diego manager Bud Black said about Headley. "This year it has really manifested into a player that is doing it all and he is a guy teammates look to, to bring stability and leadership."
Headley's performance wasn't enough, though.
Chris Nelson had a go-ahead, three-run home run in the seventh inning to help the Rockies gt the win.
"This was a typical Coors Field game," Black said. "It has calmed down lately, but this one turned back the clock."
Tyler Colvin and Ramon Hernandez also homered and Dexter Fowler had three hits and two RBIs to help the Rockies win two of three to snap the Padres' string of three consecutive series victories.
With San Diego leading 9-7 in the bottom of the seventh, Tommy Layne hit Carlos Gonzalez with a pitch, Jordan Pacheco singled, and one out later Nelson homered to straightaway center against Brad Brach (1-4). It was Nelson's seventh home run of the season.
"I was trying to throw a slider down and away and out of the zone," Brach said. "It wasn't a good location, but it was the pitch I wanted to throw."
Colorado added a run in the eighth, with help from a two-base throwing error by Brach that allowed Charlie Blackmon, aboard with a walk, to advance to third. Fowler drove him in with his third hit of the day and second RBI single.
Guillermo Moscoso (1-1) retired the only batter he faced to close the seventh, and Rafael Betancourt gave up three consecutive two-out hits in the ninth -- including an RBI single by Amarista -- before getting Chris Denorfia to ground out for his 27th save.
The Rockies recovered to get the win after giving up a four-run lead following their seven-run third inning.
San Diego's Casey Kelly, who pitched six scoreless innings to beat Atlanta in his major league debut last Monday, was roughed up when the Rockies sent 11 men to the plate in the third.
Fowler singled to drive in the inning's first run for the Rockies and after a two-out, ground-rule double by Gonzalez, Pacheco hit a two-run double to tie the score at 3-all.
Colvin followed with a drive into the right-field seats for his 17th home run of the season and second in two games. After Nelson singled, Hernandez connected for a two-run shot, his first homer since April 27, ending a drought of 121 at-bats.
Staked to the 7-3 lead, Rockies starter Jeff Francis couldn't get out of the fourth inning. He allowed six runs on 10 hits in 3 2-3 innings, including Headley's two-run homer in the first and RBI single in the third. Headley's two-run single in the fourth helped the Padres pull to 7-6, finishing Francis and bringing on reliever Adam Ottovino.
After Amarista doubled in the sixth and scored on Logan Forsythe's single, Headley hit his third run-scoring single of the day and the Padres went in front 9-7.
"It was a good individual effort," said Headley. "But it's always better when it comes with a win."
NOTES: The Padres move on to Los Angeles, where LHP Andrew Werner (1-1) will pitch the opener Monday against the Dodgers' RHP Joe Blanton (9-12). ... The Padres previous season high was 18 hits on May 24 against the New York Mets. ... Amarista's five-hit game was the first by a Padre this season.
