Rockies 3 - 2 Padres
Final
  for this game

Rockies hope to end road skid in San Diego

Sep 23, 2014 - 2:27 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Colorado Rockies will try to avoid a ninth straight road loss on Tuesday night, when they visit the San Diego Padres for the second of three games at Petco Park.

Colorado has won 13 of its last 15 games at home, but is just 5-35 in its last 40 games away from Denver, including eight straight losses after Monday's series opener. The Rockies have scored 17 runs in their last 13 road games.

Still, Justin Morneau's two hits Monday pulled him slightly ahead of Pittsburgh's Josh Harrison in the chase for the National League batting title. He's hitting .429 against the Padres in 2014.

"Don't get me wrong, if it works out that way it'll be nice," Morneau said. "But for now it's kind of hard when you're watching the Dodgers play the Giants for the division. That's really where you want to be and in the end that's what it comes down to."

Colorado starter Jorge De La Rosa is 7-0 in his last eight home outings, but has lost five straight starts on the road with a 5.16 earned run average.

He's not won a road game since June 29.

But he beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in his last start on Wednesday and is 3-1 in his last five appearances in San Diego.

The Padres have won five in a row and seven of eight thanks to a starting rotation that's turned in a 2.03 ERA in that stretch. The team's 23-7 home record since the All-Star break is the best in the majors.

Lefty Robbie Erlin gets the ball on Tuesday in his second start since returning from four months on the shelf with an elbow problem.

He gave up one run in six innings of a 7-3 defeat of Philadelphia on Thursday.

"His season was interrupted by the elbow, which was a bummer because I think he was off to a good start," manager Bud Black said. "This was more like what we saw in April and May."

Erlin is 1-1 with a 7.71 ERA in three meetings with Colorado this season.

On Monday, Eric Stults pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings and the Padres continued their winning ways with a 1-0 victory over Colorado.

Stults (8-17) remains tied with Philadelphia's A.J. Burnett for the most losses in the majors after allowing seven hits with five strikeouts. He pitched into the seventh inning without giving up a run for the third time this season.

Rene Rivera doubled in the lone run of the contest for San Diego.

Rockies starter Tyler Matzek (6-11) pitched well in defeat, fanning eight in six innings of one-run ball.

The Rockies are 9-8 versus the Padres this season, but have lost six of eight in San Diego.






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