Rockies Struggle as Padres Stay on Winning Path

DENVER, Colorado – The Colorado Rockies managed to secure a win in their series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday, but remain at the bottom of the National League West standings. With a record of 3-9, the Rockies find themselves 6½ games behind the division-leading San Diego Padres and are grappling with a troubling trend, having won just two of their last ten games.

The Rockies’ performance this season has been marked by an alarming run differential of minus-28, the worst in Major League Baseball. After suffering back-to-back seasons with 100-plus losses, Colorado’s struggles are particularly concerning, despite winning the previous year’s series against the Padres 8-5.

Brenton Doyle stood out in Thursday’s game by tying his career-high with five RBIs, boosting his season tally to three home runs and 11 RBIs over the last six games, resulting in an impressive OPS of 1.129. His teammate, Ezequiel Tovar, matched Doyle’s six-game hit tally with ten hits during the same stretch. In stark contrast, rookie Zac Veen has stumbled, recording just two hits in 12 at-bats with one RBI and two strikeouts since his call-up.

Statistically, the Rockies rank 16th in the majors with a .684 OPS but are second-to-last with 29th place in strikeouts. The pitching staff has also struggled, sitting 27th in the league with a 4.89 ERA, while the bullpen’s ERA is a league-worst 6.53.

The San Diego Padres, currently at 10-3, are on the other end of the spectrum, having reached ten wins faster than any other team this season. The Padres lead the league with a 1.65 bullpen ERA and boast a .761 OPS, ranking ninth overall. During their recent games, Luis Arraez has led the team with 11 hits in the last six games, maintaining an OPS of .964, while Xander Bogaerts has recorded an impressive OPS of .865 in that same timeframe.

The pitching matchups for the upcoming games against the Padres set the stage for critical confrontations. Rockies’ RHP German Marquez (0-1, 2.45 ERA) is expected to start Friday after a rocky outing where he allowed four runs in five innings against the Athletics. He holds a 4.38 career ERA in 18 games against the Padres.

In contrast, Padres’ RHP Nick Pivetta (1-1, 2.70 ERA) is still searching for consistency after an excellent debut followed by a less favorable performance in Chicago where he allowed three runs in three innings. Pivetta’s previous struggles against the Rockies, including an 0-5 record with a daunting 15.51 ERA in 15 ⅔ innings, raise questions about his effectiveness in this matchup.

For the Rockies’ Saturday game, RHP Chase Dollander (1-0, 7.20 ERA) will make his second start after winning his MLB debut last week, while Padres’ LHP Kyle Hart (1-0, 11.12 ERA) is still trying to stabilize after a challenging outing last week.

The series comes as the Rockies deal with player injuries, including INF Thairo Estrada, who could be sidelined until May after fracturing his wrist during spring training. LHP Austin Gomber‘s return is uncertain due to shoulder issues, and RHP Jeff Criswell is out for the season following Tommy John surgery.

San Diego is also battling injuries, with OF Jackson Merrill hitting the injured list and both OF Fernando Tatis Jr. and 2B Jake Cronenworth recently ailing but expected to return in time for the weekend series. In a slight positive update, RHP Joe Musgrove has begun throwing again, but he is anticipated to miss the entire season.