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Padres-Rockies Preview

Sep 15, 2010 - 6:40 AM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

San Diego (82-62) at Colorado (79-66), 3:10 p.m. EDT

After watching their lead atop the NL West all but vanish, the San Diego Padres are back in control of the division after cooling off the Colorado Rockies.

The Padres will try for their first sweep at Coors Field in nine years Wednesday afternoon when the teams conclude their three-game series.

San Diego (82-62) and Colorado (79-66) were headed in opposite directions when this week began, with the Rockies having won 10 in a row. The Padres, meanwhile, owned a 6 1/2-game lead in the division Aug. 25, but came out of their weekend series against San Francisco with their advantage down to one percentage point.

However, they snapped Colorado's streak in Monday's series opener and recorded a 7-6 victory Tuesday to push Colorado 3 1/2 games back. San Diego has a 1 1/2-game lead over the second-place Giants.

"Every game is a big one this time of year. Every team will tell you that," manager Bud Black said. "The Rockies are tough and they're especially tough at home."

Black's club is 6-11 against the Rockies this season despite winning three straight at Coors Field. On Tuesday, Matt Stairs hit a pinch-hit, two-run homer and Jon Garland allowed one earned run in seven innings.

The Padres haven't been able to cool off MVP candidate Carlos Gonzalez, who went 3 for 4 with three RBIs Tuesday. They have, however, gotten to the Rockies pitching staff, collecting 13 runs and 27 hits in the first two games after Colorado posted a 2.70 ERA during its 10-game run.

Colorado, which remains 3 1/2 back in the wild-card race, hasn't been swept in a three-game series at home since the Dodgers did it May 25-27, 2009. After Wednesday, 10 of the team's final 16 games are on the road.

"We're not done by any stretch of the imagination," manager Jim Tracy said. "We still have got baseball left to play. It's still all in front of us."

The Padres haven't swept a three-game series at Coors Field since April 6-8, 2001. They'll hand the ball Wednesday to Clayton Richard (12-7, 3.36 ERA), who has a 1.64 ERA over his last six starts, but is winless in the last three.

Richard pitched six innings against San Francisco on Friday, giving up one run and two hits, but the Padres lost 1-0. He hit Aubrey Huff with a pitch to lead off the seventh and Huff scored the game's only run on a fielder's choice.

The left-hander is 1-1 with a 4.40 ERA in five starts against Colorado this season, but pitched very well against them earlier this month, giving up two runs - one earned - in six innings of a 4-2 loss Sept. 5. He didn't factor in the decision.

Jorge De La Rosa (7-4, 4.10) got the win for Colorado in that game, yielding two runs in six innings to improve to 2-0 with a 3.63 ERA against the Padres this year.

The left-hander followed up that start with another good outing against Arizona on Friday, allowing two runs and striking out a season-high 10 in a 13-4 win.

De La Rosa hasn't given up more than three runs in any of his last 10 starts, during which he is 4-2 with a 3.11 ERA. He has won his last three decisions.