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Padres go for series win over Rockies

May 8, 2012 - 2:52 PM (Sports Network) - It's not that strange that Padres starter Jeff Suppan enters tonight's game with the Rockies off back-to-back scoreless outings.

What is interesting is that those performances came 19 months apart.

Suppan tries to pitch San Diego to a series victory Tuesday night in the second of three straight meetings with Colorado.

After shutting out the Rockies for six innings in a victory with the Cardinals on Oct. 3, 2010, Suppan did not pitch again in the majors until last Wednesday versus the Brewers. The 37-year-old spent all of last season with Kansas City's Triple-A club, going 11-8 with a 4.78 earned run average in 28 games.

Suppan, who signed a minor league contract with the Padres in February, was recalled to fill in for the injured Cory Luebke and beat Milwaukee with five scoreless frames. The right-hander allowed four hits and two walks, retiring 15 of the 20 batters he faced in an inspiring 5-0 win.

"When a guy keeps wanting to play and getting an opportunity to come back to the big leagues and win a major league game, it's wonderful," San Diego manager Bud Black said.

Suppan has solid career numbers versus the Rockies, going 7-2 with a 3.86 ERA in 11 starts.

With the Rockies rotation plagued with injury and poor performance, the club recalled both right-hander Alex White and southpaw Christian Friedrich from Triple-A Colorado Springs on Monday. Friedrich will start Wednesday's finale, while White gets the call tonight.

Colorado's starters are last in the National League with a 5.75 ERA and have gone just 5-10 in 28 games. Manager Jim Tracy hopes that White can give his starting five a jolt after a solid start to the season in the minors.

Part of the package the Rockies received last season in a deal for Ubaldo Jimenez, the 23-year-old White made 10 starts in the majors -- seven with the Rockies -- after being selected 15th overall in the 2009 draft. He struggled with both a middle finger injury and the longball, going 3-4 with a 7.01 ERA while allowing 15 homers over 51 1/3 total innings.

One of White's three wins last year did come versus the Padres on Sept. 3, but he did allowed four runs on five hits -- one a solo homer -- in five innings of work.

White has been solid in Triple-A so far this season, going 1-3 with a 2.92 ERA in five starts. More importantly, he has struck out 21 over 24 2/3 frames without allowing a homer.

"He looks as under control as I've seen him look since we acquired him," Tracy told Colorado's website. "I don't see the violence at the end of his delivery, trying to get the ball to the glove side."

Colorado lost starter Drew Pomeranz -- also acquired last season from the Indians -- to a leg injury in Monday's 3-2 loss to San Diego. Pomeranz was hit by a liner in his right quad in the second inning and exited after the third, allowing three runs on five hits and three walks. He did have enough power to hit his first career homer in the top of the third.

"Apparently I jogged around the bases a little slow, I don't know if that's because of my leg or what, probably for that trot around the bases I didn't feel my legs too much," Pomeranz said.

Colorado lost its fourth straight and seventh in the past nine.

Edinson Volquez picked up his first victory with the Padres, giving up two runs over 5 1/3 innings, helping San Diego rebound after getting swept in three games versus Miami.

Yonder Alonso finished 2-for-3 with two runs batted in for the Padres.

The Rockies won two of three at home versus the Padres from April 16-18 and have taken 12 of their past 17 in San Diego.