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Padres-Rockies Preview

May 29, 2009 - 10:42 PM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

San Diego (24-23) at Colorado (18-28), 9:10 p.m. EDT

The San Diego Padres finished last in the NL West last season, and that's the spot they occupied as recently as two weeks ago after a six-game losing streak.

However, a surprising run of victories has lifted the Padres into second place, while the Colorado Rockies have replaced them in the cellar and fired their manager.

San Diego will be looking to win for the 12th time in 13 games when it begins a three-game set Friday night in Denver, where the Rockies have dropped three straight to begin their homestand and will be playing their first game since firing Clint Hurdle.

The Padres' tear started with a 9-0 homestand and they continued their solid play at Arizona this week, taking two of three from the Diamondbacks. That improved them to just 7-17 on the road.

The surge was unexpected considering the team lost 99 games in 2008 before a 13-22 start this year, which left them tied for last place in the West. General manager Kevin Towers has been actively trying to trade ace Jake Peavy.

"I still haven't figured (the team) out," Towers told his club's official Web site. "And I don't know if the rest of baseball has, either. Maybe that's a good thing.

"It's a lot easier to watch these games now than it was three weeks ago. But that's the exciting thing about baseball. These things can happen."

What once looked like a meek San Diego lineup has started to produce, as the Padres have scored 29 runs in the last four games. They rank last in the majors with a .237 batting average.

Adrian Gonzalez hit his league-leading 18th home run in the first inning and the Padres (24-23) never trailed in Wednesday's 8-5 win over Arizona. Closer Heath Bell, who's replaced the departed Trevor Hoffman, earned his 14th save in as many chances.

Right-hander Chris Young (4-2, 4.76 ERA) won both of his starts with a 2.08 ERA during the Padres' winning streak, and he retired the first 14 batters Sunday in a 7-2 win over the Cubs.

He's struggled against Colorado of late, however. Young went 5-1 with a 2.40 ERA in his first 10 starts versus the Rockies, but in his two most recent starts - both at Coors Field - he's 0-1 with a 19.29 ERA.

He walked five and gave up a career-high eight runs in three innings of a 12-7 loss in Denver on April 27, a game in which Rockies center fielder Dexter Fowler stole five bases. Four came with Young pitching.

"It's something I was aware of, so the goal is to keep him off base," Young said. "But it doesn't change the way I'm pitching."

The Rockies (18-28) took two of three from the Padres in that series and are 3-2 against San Diego this year.

Colorado, though, was swept at home by the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers this week, falling 8-6 on Wednesday. That led to Hurdle being fired Friday after going 534-625 in seven-plus seasons, including a World Series appearance in 2007.

"It was been a tremendous ride. It has been life lesson after life lesson," Hurdle said. "And I will tell you this, the last seven weeks I have said the serenity prayer more times than I did in the last seven years."

The Rockies, who allowed 31 runs and 43 hits in the three games against the Dodgers, will be managed by bench coach Jim Tracy.

The team will send Jason Marquis to the mound Friday to try and stabilize the staff. Marquis (6-3, 4.45) is 2-0 with a 1.72 ERA in his last two starts after tossing 7 2-3 innings and allowing three runs - two earned - in Saturday's 4-3 win at Detroit.

"I had to battle through some things early, but I felt like I cruised from about the fourth inning on," Marquis said.

Marquis didn't make it through six innings in either of his starts against San Diego last year, going 1-1 with a 5.91 ERA while with the Chicago Cubs.