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Rockies-Padres Preview

Jun 30, 2010 - 7:00 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Colorado (41-36) at San Diego (45-32), 3:35 p.m. EDT

The San Diego Padres own the largest divisional lead in the NL. That advantage has not been built against the Colorado Rockies.

The NL West-leading Padres try to salvage the finale of a three-game series at Petco Park on Wednesday when the Rockies go for their first sweep on the road since August.

San Diego (45-32), which has a three-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers, is a combined 11-3 against the bottom two teams in the West, San Francisco and Arizona. The Padres are 3-10 versus the Dodgers and Rockies, and have lost six of eight to Colorado this season including four of five at Petco Park.

After winning Monday's series opener 10-6, the Rockies beat San Diego 6-3 on Tuesday.

"That's a very big game to win," said Colorado manager Jim Tracy, whose team moved one-half game ahead of the Giants into third place.

While the Padres will try to avoid getting swept for the first time since May 14-16 versus the Dodgers, the Rockies (41-36) are seeking their first sweep on the road since Aug. 18-20 at Washington. Colorado has not swept a series at Petco since Sept. 21-23, 2007.

Left-hander Jeff Francis (2-2, 3.53 ERA) will try to help the Rockies repeat that feat.

Tied with Pedro Astacio for third on the team's all-time wins list with 53, Francis gave up three runs in 6 1-3 innings of Friday's 4-3, 11-inning loss at the Los Angeles Angels.

Francis is 5-10 with a 5.15 ERA in 18 starts against San Diego, but hasn't faced the Padres since 2008.

Padres left-hander Clayton Richard (5-4, 2.75) will face Colorado for the third time this season. San Diego has lost both of his previous outings, most recently a 6-5, 12-inning defeat at Petco Park on May 5 in which Richard walked a season-high five in a season-low five innings.

Richard fared better in his last start, throwing six innings of five-hit ball in Friday's 3-0 win at Florida. He had been 0-2 despite a 3.27 ERA in his previous five outings.

"It seemed like it's been years since I've gotten (a win)," said Richard, who has allowed two runs or fewer in nine of 15 starts but has one of the lowest run-support averages in the NL at 2.94.

Richard will face a Rockies team that has six homers in the series. After hitting a season high-tying four in Monday's 10-6 victory, Colorado got homers from Carlos Gonzalez and Clint Barmes in Tuesday's win.

"I can't explain that," said Barmes, who hit a three-run shot and is batting .440 during a seven-game hitting streak. "They've got some great pitching here and we've been able to find a way to score some runs and put a barrel on the ball."

Gonzalez will try to homer in three straight games for the first time since a four-game stretch Aug. 16-19.

With just four hits in 26 career at-bats against Francis, Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez might have a good reason to rest his ailing right shoulder Wednesday.

Rockies first baseman Todd Helton is also questionable after missing the first two games of this series with lower back stiffness.