This story was originally published by Dead Spin
At 30 games under .500 after Saturday night’s 3-2 loss to the San Diego Padres, the Colorado Rockies moved closer to a last-place finish in the National League West.
But Colorado has looked more like a playoff contender against San Diego.
Winners of six of nine games against the Padres this year, Colorado will try for a series win in Sunday’s series finale in San Diego. Before Saturday night, the Rockies were on a five-game winning streak against San Diego that had dated to April.
“We don’t talk about it and make this thing bigger than it is,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said after a 5-2 defeat Friday night. “I understand the question; I get it. We need to get the lead, hold the lead and bring it home.”
That having been accomplished Saturday, San Diego will try for its fifth straight series win since the All-Star break with Matt Waldron (6-9, 3.89 ERA) taking the mound. The right-hander was pushed up in the rotation to start on normal rest when Michael King was skipped after taking a liner off his calf July 27 in Baltimore.
Waldron last pitched on Tuesday, allowing five hits and five runs over four innings in his team’s 6-5, 10-inning win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. He has won his only start against Colorado, permitting just one run in six innings of a 5-2 decision on April 24 in Denver.
Waldron and Shildt hope the San Diego offense gets back to the form it showed before running into the Rockies. After scoring at least six runs in six of their previous seven games, the Padres have just five runs on 10 hits in the series’ first two games.
“These guys probably feel good playing against us,” second baseman Xander Bogaerts said.
Colorado will bid to take the rubber game of the series behind right-hander Cal Quantrill (7-7, 4.50 ERA). He last worked on Tuesday night, yielding nine hits and seven runs at the Los Angeles Angels in a no-decision as his team lost 10-7.
Quantrill beat San Diego 6-3 on May 14, limiting the Padres to one run over six innings. He is 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA in three career appearances (all starts) vs. the Padres.
The Rockies’ offense could get a boost Sunday if Charlie Blackmon is able to return to the lineup. Blackmon left Friday night’s game when he was struck in the eye by a wild throw from Bogaerts in the third inning but avoided serious injury.
“No concussion, no fracture,” Blackmon said. “I’m fine — just a little sore.”
Colorado hopes to get more out of former NL Most Valuable Player Kris Bryant, who has missed 74 games with rib and lower back injuries this year. Bryant stroked a two-run single to give the Rockies the lead for good on Friday, then drilled a double on Saturday night.
“We’ve got to get him going,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “KB wants to be a big part of this. A night like (Friday) can give him a little bit of a jump-start as we go through these next two months. It’s been frustrating for KB, no doubt about it.”
Bryant is batting just .211 in 32 games this year, with two homers and 14 RBI.
–Field Level Media
