MLB Game Preview - Colorado at San Diego

Wed Sep 9, 2020 8:10 PM EDT

After an ugly defeat Tuesday at San Diego, the Colorado Rockies are in danger of getting swept by the Padres on Wednesday at an inopportune time.

The Rockies jumped to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning Tuesday when Nolan Arenado hit a three-run homer. However, the Padres held a 5-3 lead just six hitters into their half of the first, blew the game open to 10-3 after two innings and rolled to a 14-5 romp.

San Diego, which won the opener of the three-game series 1-0 on Monday, has produced three straight wins and owns 16 victories in its past 21 games. The Padres have won four consecutive meetings with the Rockies and hold a 6-3 edge on the year heading into the final meeting of the regular season.

There is still the chance that the teams could meet again in the postseason, but the possibility of that happening is fading because, well, the Rockies are fading.

Colorado, the early-season National League West leader, has lost 13 of its past 20 games to tumble to 20-22.

"We can turn it around," said struggling Charlie Blackmon, whose early dreams of hitting .400 in a 60-game season have evaporated due to a 17-for-90 (.189) slump. "We have to turn it around. We can't afford not to."

To turn it around, the Rockies have to stop giving up runs. Tuesday night marked the fourth time in the past nine games that Colorado has yielded more than 10 runs in a game. Over their last 105 innings, the Rockies have watched their opponents score 101 runs.

Rockies manager Bud Black will call on right-hander Antonio Senzatela (3-1, 3.33 ERA) to stop the skid Wednesday. The Padres will counter with right-hander Zach Davies (6-2, 2.23).

Davies is a key reason why the Padres are 27-17 and appear headed to the No. 4 seed in the eight-team National League playoffs. He hasn't allowed an earned run over 12 2/3 innings in his past two starts. In fact, he hasn't allowed an earned run in three of his six outings.

Davies has already faced the Rockies twice this year, and Colorado did hand him one of his two losses. He has allowed seven runs (three earned) on nine hits and three walks with eight strikeouts in 10 2/3 innings against Colorado.

Matt Kemp has hit two homers against Davies this year while Daniel Murphy has hit one. Davies has allowed only one other homer. In his career, Davis is 3-2 with a 3.16 ERA in six starts vs. Colorado.

Davies topped 100 pitches in two of his last three outings. He has a 0.93 WHIP that ranks sixth in the NL.

"Zach has been a constant in an area, pitching, were everyone else is coming up to what he has been doing," Padres manager Jayce Tingler said.

Senzatela is 1-0 with a 0.69 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP in two starts against the Padres this season. He has given up one run to the Padres on 11 hits and two walks with nine strikeouts in 13 innings.

Overall, the Rockies are 4-4 when Senzatela starts. In his career against the Padres, he is 7-1 with a 2.73 ERA in 14 games (eight starts).

--Field Level Media