The Padres are sinking fast and today’s opponent has been given new life due to their losing streak.
Colorado Rockies at San Diego Padres
Colorado picked up a 4-3 road victory versus the Padres on Friday night and moved to within 6 1/2 games of the division lead. The Rockies had dropped three in a row heading into this weekend series, but the club has had great success against San Diego this season. “What we talked about at the beginning of the season was winning the division,” shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said. “That’s what gets you into the playoffs the easiest way.” The team has been led offensively by outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, who is riding an 11-game hitting streak and is hitting .500 with six home runs and 14 RBIs over that stretch. The team also remains confident heading into the final two games of the series due to a 33-29 all-time mark at Petco Park. Colorado is 29-24 against the division this season (+140) and the total is 20-32 O/U in those contests.
Continue reading “Saturday MLB on FOX Preview – Rockies at Padres”
Philadelphia heads to Colorado to play a single game series due to a May rainout on Thursday night at Coors Field. The Phillies followed a three-game sweep of the Padres in San Diego by picking up two of three versus the Dodgers in Los Angeles. The team is 5-1 on its seven-game road trip and leads tonight’s opponent by 5 1/2 games in the NL Wild Card race. Overall, the club has posted a fantastic 11-2 record away from Philadelphia since the start of August. Their upcoming schedule of opponents has a combined .498 winning percentage over the final 29 games of the season and the Phillies will play 16 of those games at Citizens Bank Park. Philadelphia started the month off with a 5-1 victory on Wednesday and the team has compiled a fantastic 35-21 record in September over the last three years (+190).
Colorado picked up a 6-2 victory in the second game of this series over the Mets at Citi Field. The club will be looking to pick up its first road series win over today’s opponent in more than eight years. The Rockies are 25-17 in games against left-handed starters this season (+500), after posing a 27-26 mark in 2009. Offensively, the team has 162 RBIs versus southpaws, which is the most in the National League. The lineup is being led by outfielder Carlos Gonzalez having the second-most extra-base hits since the All-Star break in the league (16) and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki batting .375 with one home run and 12 RBIs in 14 games since returning from the disabled list. Colorado is a dismal 4-11 as a road underdog of +125 to +150 (-560) and the total in those games stands at 6-9 O/U in that span.
Colorado fell to 2-8 on its current road trip after a 4-3 defeat on Sunday afternoon against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The Rockies have dropped to fourth place in the NL West standings and trails the Padres by 7.5 games. The offense left 12 men on base Sunday and were 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. “You don’t put yourself in a favorable position when you strand 12 runners,” manager Jim Tracy said. Part of the problem this season has been the lineup’s ineffectiveness with runners in scoring position and two outs, hitting .223 in the situation this season, which ranks 13th in the league. Colorado is 19-16 during day games this season (+160) with the total being 11-23 O/U in those games.
Colorado has faced off against opposing All-Star hurlers in back-to-back games, falling in defeat in both games, including a 6-0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies last night. “We take it one day at a time,” Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. “We’re 2-6 on since the break. We’ve had a couple games here that were winnable.” Today’s game is the second game between the two clubs at Citizens Bank Park since facing off against each other in the 2009 Division Series. It’s important for the Rockies to score first on the road this season, as the club is 3-16 away from Coors Field when the opponent scores the games first run. Colorado is 0-2 after getting shutout this season (-200), but is an impressive 5-0 after three or more consecutive losses (+580).
Colorado comes into Philadelphia with a 2-5 record on its current 11-game road trip, after losing three of four in Florida. “We’ve got to find a way to win a couple more games on this trip,” manager Jim Tracy said. It may prove tough for a turnaround in Philadelphia, a place where they’ve lost six of their last seven games. The club has 10 road series left on the season with seven of those against teams above .500. The Rockies have done a great job in bouncing back from defeat, posting a 27-17 record this year after a loss (+1,020). Colorado has also been great in starting off a series in winning fashion, going 7-2 in the first game of a series.
