SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- The Colorado Rockies are off their second-best 11-game start and Preston Wilson has a lot do with it.
Wilson led off the top of the ninth inning with a solo home run to give the Rockies a 3-2 triumph over the San Diego Padres.
The Rockies improved to 7-4 for the second time and first since 1995, when they won the National League wild card. Colorado's best 11-game start was 1997 when it began 8-3 en route to an 83-79 record.
Last season, Colorado was 4-7 through 11 contests and a 6-16 start led to manager Buddy Bell's dismissal. Bell was replaced by Clint Hurdle, who compiled a 67-73 mark.
Acquired from Florida in a six-player offseason trade, Wilson belted a 2-0 fastball from San Diego righthander Brandon Villafuerte (0-1) over the left-center field fence for his second homer of the season.
One of four Colorado starters with a .300 batting average, Wilson has hit safely in all but one game and has scored a run in his last six contests.
"We feel all right," said Wilson, who hit .243 in his final season with the Marlins. "We feel like we could improve in a lot of ways. There are some things that we definitely want to do better. But we like the people that we've got here. We like the personnel - that's who we're going to war with every night and we like it."
"That's a big win for us, - a close game on the road " Colorado starter Jason Jennings added. "In here, the past couple of years, we haven't been that good in close games."
Wilson's blast gave the Rockies their seventh win in nine games following a 0-2 start. It also gave Colorado its fourth consecutive one-run victory.
"It was a fastball," Wilson said. "On a 2-0 count, in a tie ballgame, it's a good time to be aggressive and I was able to put good wood on the ball."
"The key was he (Villafuerte) got behind and he got the ball up there," Padres manager Bruce Bochy said. "Wilson is a good hitter and he knows what to do with a pitch like that."
After Wilson's homer, Colorado had chances to add insurance runs against Villafuerte. Jose Hernandez, who is hitting .357 and drew just 52 walks to go along with 188 strikeouts last season, drew a walk and advanced to third on Bobby Estalella's base hit, chasing Villafuerte.
Matt Herges came on and got two outs before issuing a walk to Ron Belliard to load the bases. But he retired Jay Payton on a flyout to right field.
Reliever Justin Speier (1-0) allowed three hits in two scoreless innings for the win and Jose Jimenez needed just 12 pitches to notch his third save.
Jennings turned in his second consecutive effective outing, allowing two runs - one earned - and five hits in a season-high 5 2/3 innings. He departed after Sean Burroughs' two-run single plated Mark Kotsay and Rondell White and gave the Padres a one-run lead.
Former Padre Steve Reed replaced Jennings and retired former Colorado catcher Gary Bennett to end the threat.
But the Rockies chased San Diego starter Adam Eaton in the seventh when Chris Stynes doubled in Estallela, who had walked with two outs.
"A lot of guys had a lot to do with us winning the ballgame tonight," Hurdle said. "Stynes' double was big and Preston Wilson - the way he got on top of the ball, I haven't seen a righthanded hitter get on top of a ball like that since Ellis Burks was here."
Eaton also pitched well, allowing two runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings with five strikeouts and two walks.
Jennings also drove in Colorado's first run. Following base hits by Hernandez and Stynes in the fifth, Jennings lofted a sacrifice fly.
