Rockies at Padres
The San Diego Padres finally have found an opponent they can handle as they try for a four-game sweep at home against the struggling Colorado Rockies on Sunday. San Diego was winless in eight series since the All-Star break (0-6-2) before Saturday's 8-5 victory - highlighted by Manuel Margot's tiebreaking two-run homer in the eighth inning - clinched the set and gave the team consecutive wins for the first time in the second half.
San Diego rookie Fernando Tatis Jr. extended his career-high hitting streak to 14 games on Saturday with a triple while Hunter Renfroe has recorded consecutive multi-hit performances for the first time since May 25 and 26 after belting his 31st home run and doubling twice. Colorado has lost 26 of its last 34 games, is 12-31 since June 21 - only Detroit (9-35) has been worse during that span - and has been outscored 49-18 during its five-game losing streak. Dinelson Lamet takes the mound for San Diego on Sunday on the heels of a career-best performance as he opposes German Marquez, who was roughed up in his last turn after a string of three straight quality starts. "I think he's trending upward," Padres manager Andy Green told reporters about Lamet, who missed 2018 after undergoing Tommy John surgery and will be making his seventh start of the season.
TV: 3:40 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountain (Colorado), FS San Diego
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH German Marquez (10-5, 4.82 ERA) vs. Padres RH Dinelson Lamet (1-2, 3.90)
Marquez escaped with a no-decision after allowing five runs and eight hits (two homers) in five innings of Colorado's 11-6 loss at Houston on Tuesday. The 24-year-old Venezuelan went 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in his previous three turns, including road victories over Cincinnati and the New York Yankees. Renfroe and Wil Myers are a combined 3-for-27 with 17 strikeouts against Marquez, who is 4-2 with a 5.13 ERA in 10 career games (eight starts) versus the Padres - including a 2-0 record and 7.15 ERA in two turns this season.
Lamet allowed two hits - both in the seventh inning - and four walks while matching a career high with 12 strikeouts in seven scoreless frames of San Diego's 9-4 victory at Seattle on Tuesday. The 27-year-old Dominican, who did not pitch more than five innings in any of his previous starts this season, has registered 42 strikeouts over 30 frames. Lamet yielded six runs (five earned), four hits and four walks with seven strikeouts in a 9-7 loss at Colorado on July 18, 2017 in his only career appearance against the club.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Padres are 8-44 this season when allowing five or more runs, with three of the victories coming against the Rockies.
2. Colorado RF Charlie Blackmon (.322) went 0-for-5 on Saturday to snap an eight-game hitting streak during which he went 14-for-32 with three home runs, three RBIs, three doubles and eight runs.
3. San Diego has scored at least six runs in a club-record eight straight games against Colorado.