Rockies 8, Padres 3: Denver Tagged Buehler Early and Never Relented

April 22, 2026 - Denver - The Colorado Rockies did not need a trademark mile-high miracle Tuesday night. They needed a clean early knockout, and they got it. Colorado scored four in the second against Walker Buehler, added steady insurance, and beat the San Diego Padres 8-3 behind Tomoyuki Sugano’s composed 5.2 innings.

Ryan Rumfield doubled home a run in the sixth and singled home another in the fourth. Mickey Moniak and Kyle Karros kept the line moving. Hunter Goodman launched a solo homer in the eighth. San Diego’s only real punch came from Luis Campusano’s seventh-inning homer and a late RBI groundout from Jake Cronenworth, per the ESPN inning log.

Buehler’s line told on him fast

Buehler recorded only eight outs, allowed eight hits and four earned runs, and walked three. That is not the shape San Diego wants from a veteran anchor, especially on a night when Colorado hit 15 times as a team.

Sugano gave the bullpen a runway

Sugano allowed one earned run across 5.2 innings with four strikeouts and only one walk. Justin Hill and Antonio Senzatela covered the late frames well enough to keep the Padres from stringing together a real rally.

AthX Engine fantasy angle

AthX Engine rewards home wins with eight runs and 15 hits. Rumfield, Goodman, and Moniak profile as Colorado’s top hitter contributors, while Sugano clears a strong pitching line for the slate. Campusano and Jackson Merrill still chip in counting stats for San Diego despite the loss.

AthX Engine daily totals are not automatic signals for AthX share prices; see dynamic pricing.

What it meant

For Colorado, this was the kind of night that makes April feel rational: jump early, keep adding, let pitching breathe. For San Diego, it was a blunt early message that one quiet inning from the offense can turn a road start into a long evening.

*Sources: MLB.com schedule for April 22, 2026; MLB.com gameday wrap; ESPN box score. AthX Engine fantasy scoring for 2026-04-22. This write-up is for information only and is not financial advice.*