San Diego Padres at Colorado Rockies
- Friday: 5:40 p.m. (Padres.TV)
- Saturday: 5:10 p.m. (Padres.TV, CBS)
- Sunday: 12:10 p.m. (Padres.TV)
In the standings
San Diego Padres (23-13, 2nd in NL West)
The Padres began the road trip with four straight wins before the bullpen coughed up leads the last two games in the Bronx. They are still a game behind the Dodgers and Tigers in the race for the majors’ best record, while their plus-29 run differential is tied for eighth. The Padres swept the Rockies in a three-game series last month at Petco Park, outscoring their 16-0 over three straight shutouts.
Colorado Rockies (6-31, 5th in NL West)
The Rockies have lost six straight and a .162 winning percentage puts them on pace for a record 135 losses. Their minus-109 run differential is 50 runs worse than the second-worst team in the majors. Their .623 OPS is second-worst in the majors, even with playing half their games at Coors Field, their 5.47 team ERA is third-worst and their bullpen ERA (3.77) is 14th in the majors.
Pitching matchups
Friday
Padres RHP Randy Vásquez (1-3, 3.90 ERA) | He hasn’t completed six innings six throwing six shutout innings in a no-decision in his first start on March 29. The Padres are 3-4 in Vásquez’s starts and he has walked more than he’s struck out in six of those starts. Vásquez has a 7.94 ERA in three career starts against the Rockies and he allowed four runs in 2⅔ innings in his only Coors Field start last year.
Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (1-5, 5.50 ERA) | The 30-year-old Venezuelan has allowed the second-most hits in the majors (57) and is sporting a 1.86 WHIP through his first 34⅓ innings. Senzatela has just one quality start on the season, allowing one run in six innings in a win on April 30. He hasn’t faced the Padres since 2022, but he has a 3.26 ERA in 88⅓ career innings against San Diego.
Saturday
Padres RHP Stephen Kolek (1-0, 0.00 ERA) | The 28-year-old struck out four over 5⅓ shutout innings in his first major league start last weekend in Pittsburgh, scattering four hits and two walks in the win. He allowed four runs in 2⅔ innings in relief last year against the Rockies, including one run on three hits and two walks in 1⅓ innings at Coors Field.
Rockies RHP Bradley Blalock (0-1, 8.03 ERA) | The second-year starter has allowed three home runs in 12⅓ innings so far this season and seven homers in 43 innings (6.49 ERA) to start his career. Blalock faced the Padres twice last year, throwing a shutout inning out of the Brewers’ bullpen in June and then in August after a trade to the Rockies he limited the Padres to a run over 5⅔ innings. Blalock has a 7.47 ERA in 15⅔ innings in his career at Coors Field.
Sunday
Padres RHP Nick Pivetta (5-1, 2.01 ERA) | He has a 1.42 ERA in four starts this year at Petco Park and a 3.00 ERA in three road starts. Pivetta struck out a season-high 10 batters over seven shutout innings to beat the Rockies last month at Petco Park, but he has an 18.90 ERA in three starts (10 IP) in his career at Coors Field, including seven earned runs in 2⅔ innings last year.
Rockies RHP German Marquez (0-6, 9.90 ERA) | His 33 earned runs allowed were the most in the majors to begin the weekend. That includes the Padres knocked him around for six runs — five earned — in 4⅔ innings earlier this month at Petco Park. The Rockies have lost all seven of his starts this season. Marquez is 10-4 with a 4.62 ERA in 103 career innings against the Padres.
Team leaders
- OPS: Padres—OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (.936), 3B Manny Machado (.832), DH Gavin Sheets (.786); Rockies—OF Jordan Beck (.873), C Hunter Goodman (.755), OF Mickey Moniak (.711).
- Homers: Padres—Tatis (8), Sheets (4), OF Jackson Merrill (4); Rockies—Beck (5), Goodman (5), three tied with 4.
- RBIs: Padres—Tatis (19), Machado (16), Sheets (14), SS Xander Bogaerts (14); Rockies—Goodman (18), OF Brenton Doyle (16), 1B Michael Toglia (15).
- Steals: Padres—Tatis (8), Machado (7), Bogaerts (6), OF Brandon Lockridge (6); Rockies—Doyle (4), Beck (4), Toglia (2), SS Ezequiel Tovar (2).
- Saves: Padres—RHP Robert Suarez (14, 0.54 ERA), LHP Adrián Morejón (1, 3.57 ERA); Rockies—RHP Zach Agnos (2, 0.00 ERA), three tied with 1.
- Holds: Padres—RHP Jason Adam (11, 1.77 ERA), RHP Jeremiah Estrada (8, 1.96 ERA), Morejón (4); Rockies—LHP Scott Alexander (3, 4.91 ERA), RHP Jake Bird (3, 1.93 ERA), five tied with 1.
Training room
San Diego: 2B Jake Cronenworth (rib) is expected to return from the injured list to start the series, while RHP Yu Darvish (elbow) was expected to throw live batting practice on Thursday in Arizona as he eyes beginning a rehab assignment on Tuesday. RHP Dylan Cease exited his last start with a forearm cramp, but he’s expected to make his next start. INF Mason McCoy (finger) and RHP Logan Gillaspie (oblique) are on short-term injured lists, while RHPs Matt Waldron (oblique) and Bryan Hoeing (shoulder) are on the 60-day injured list.
Colorado: SS Ezequiel Tovar (hip) is running the bases and hitting and fielding, but he remains without a timetable. The team is also without timetables for DH Kris Bryant (back), RHP Victor Vodnik (shoulder), INF Aaron Schunk (groin), INF Thairo Estrada (wrist), UT Tyler Freeman (oblique) and LHP Austin Gomber (shoulder). RHP Ryan Feltner could return from back spasms this month.
Originally Published:
