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Rockies look to cut into wild card lead against Padres

Sep 21, 2007 - 2:48 PM Colorado (81-72) at San Diego (85-67) 10:05 pm EDT

SAN DIEGO (Ticker) - The two hottest teams in major league baseball are setting up for a weekend showdown, with the Colorado Rockies taking one last stab at the National League wild card.

The wild card-leading San Diego Padres will send leading NL Cy Young Award candidate Jake Peavy to the mound when they open up a three-game series against the visiting Rockies on Friday.

Colorado has won five games in a row, largely due to the performance of slugger Matt Holliday, who leads the NL in hitting with a .339 average and has pushed himself into the forefront of the MVP race with 11 homers in his last 12 games. He ranks fourth in the NL with 36 blasts.

Peavy (18-6, 2.39 ERA) has won his last two starts, allowing a total of three runs in 14 1/3 innings. The 26-year-old righthander leads the NL in all three pitching triple crown categories, but has had a hard time against Holliday in his career, allowing the All-Star a .462 average (6-for-13) with a homer.

The Padres are riding a seven-game winning streak, sweeping back-to-back series against San Francisco and Pittsburgh to open up a 2 1/2-game lead in the wild card over the Philadelphia Phillies (83-70) and a 4 1/2-game edge over the Rockies.

San Diego has also moved to within one-half game of the Arizona Diamondbacks (86-67) in the West Division.

Colorado will try to end the Padres' streak with 21-year-old Franklin Morales (2-2, 3.81). The rookie lefthander has won his last two starts, combining for 11 scoreless innings at Philadelphia and against the Florida Marlins.