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Colorado has a chance to gain a bit of momentum this week. After already having won the three toughest games of the home stand on paper, the Rockies now face the opponent they've had the most success against this season in the San Diego Padres.
The Rockies are 10-3 against San Diego in2013, but the Padres did manage to split a four game series at Coors back in June during their last visit to the Mile High city. After dropping 18 of 21 back in late June and early July to free fall out of the NL West race, the Padres have since righted the ship a bit going 12-11 in their last 23 games. Despite playing in a park that suppresses offense, the Padres are driven by their bats as they have eight players with at least 240 plate appearances this season and an OPS + over 100. (The Rockies by comparison have just five and one of them is Wilin Rosario who have just entered that territory with an OPS + of 101)
This combined with a below average rotation tends to make the Padres streaky and unpredictable. The best way to beat them is to get a pitcher on the mound who can keep their deep lineup in check, and scrap out a few runs against their starter who is generally likely to make a few mistakes.
Fortunately for the Rockies, they have a guy on the mound tonight is is very capable of shutting down the Padres. In 11 games against San Diego in his career (eight of which have come at Coors), Chacin has held the Padres to a .231 batting average and a .613 OPS which has been good for a 3.16 ERA. Chacin has also been particularly good for the Rockies of late, going a minimum of seven innings in each of the last four starts and holding opponents to two runs or less in five of his last six outings.
The Rockies rightly looks to stay hot again tonight as he takes to the hill at 6:40 PM (Mountain Time)
Lineups
Padres
1. Will Venable (L) CF
2. Chris Denorfia (R) RF
3. Chase Headley (S) 3B
4. Yonder Alonso (L) 1B
5. Jedd Gyorko (R) 2B
6. Logan Forsythe (R) SS
7. Jaff Decker (L) LF
8. Nick Hundley (R) C
9. Edinson Volquez (R) P
Rockies
1. Dexter Fowler (S) CF
2. Corey Dickerson (L) LF
3. Troy Tulowitzki (R) SS
4. Wilin Rosario (R) C
5. Todd Helton (L) 1B
6. Nolan Arenado (R) 3B
7. Charlie Blackmon (L) RF
8. DJ LeMahieu (R) 2B
9. Jhoulys Chacin (R) P