After facing dominant pitching throughout a seven-game road trip to Washington and New York, the Rockies return to their hitter-friendly home to open a 10-game homestand against the San Diego Padres.
Southpaw Yohan Flande will make his fourth start of the season for the Rockies tonight. He has a 3.68 ERA in 14⅔ innings in his first three starts of 2015.
Including his work out of the bullpen, this will be Flande's 12th appearance of 2015. He has a 3.86 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 32⅔ innings this season, walking eight and striking out 19.
Flande will have a familiar-looking group of Rockies behind him tonight as Walt Weiss has sent what have to be considered his regular starters out tonight, with Ben Paulsen batting fifth at first base, DJ LeMahieu hitting sixth, and Brandon Barnes in left field batting eighth.
Those Rockies will be facing Padres right-hander Tyson Ross, who has a 3.39 ERA in 140⅔ innings this season with 150 strikeouts. This will be Ross' fifth career start at Coors Field, where he has a 3.75 ERA in 24 innings.
San Diego manager Pat Murphy has sent out a right-handed heavy lineup against Flande, with lefties Yonder Alonso, Alexi Amarista and Will Venable all on the bench replaced by Derek Norris, Clint Barmes and Melvin Upton Jr.
First pitch at Coors Field is at 6:40 p.m. Mountain time.