Colorado @ San Diego preview
Petco Park
Last Meeting ( May 3, 2010 ) Colorado 5, San Diego 2
Wade LeBlanc is one of those players that personify the early-season success of the San Diego Padres.
The Padres don’t have the financial means to chase high-priced free agents and are always on the lookout for bargain-basement players in the offseason. Then when an in-season need pops up, the hope is that the hole can be patched up by someone in their farm system.
LeBlanc began this season in the minors but was recalled when No. 2 starter Chris Young was lost to a shoulder injury. Since then, LeBlanc has been stellar in three starts for the first-place Padres, allowing only one run in 17 1/3 innings.
LeBlanc (2-0) will be back on the mound Tuesday night when the Padres host the Colorado Rockies in the second of a three-game series.
The 25-year-old left-hander finally has the command and confidence needed to be a solid major-league starter. He began showing signs late last season when he held opposing hitters to a .210 average in nine starts.
He’s taken it up a notch this season, striking out 16 and walking just four.
Nobody would have forecasted that he'd have a 0.52 ERA in April after he didn’t make the squad in spring training. LeBlanc allowed one run in five innings in his first start and didn’t give up any in his last two starts, totaling 12 1/3 innings.
And when runners do get on base, LeBlanc helps himself with one of the top pickoff moves in baseball. He already has picked off five runners – four at first base, one at second – this season.
LeBlanc will be aiming to help the Padres avenge Monday’s loss to the Rockies. Colorado received outstanding pitching from Ubaldo Jimenez, who struck out a career-high 13 in seven innings during the Rockies’ 5-2 victory.
Jimenez saw his scoreless innings streak end at 25 1/3 innings, but improved to 6-0 on the season.
Starting Tuesday will be left-hander Greg Smith, who has a 7.33 ERA in five starts.
Smith lasted just one inning in his most-recent start, allowing six runs against Arizona. Smith gave up four hits and walked three before being pulled.
Todd Helton was back in his customary No. 3 spot in the lineup Monday and went 1-for-3 with a walk. The .327 career hitter was dropped to fifth due to poor production.
Helton is hitting .269 and is homerless with just five RBIs this season.
Carlos Gonzalez, who has a team-high 17 RBis, batted fifth on Monday. Gonzalez had a two-run single in the 5-2 victory.