Colorado @ San Diego preview
Petco Park
Last Meeting ( Sep 4, 2010 ) Colorado 6, San Diego 2
When the Colorado Rockies decided to unload All-Star slugger Matt Holliday in 2008, one of the three players acquired from the Oakland Athletics was highly-touted prospect Carlos Gonzalez.
Back then it would be hard to imagine that Gonzalez would end up being the best player involved in that entire trade, let alone just two years later.
But fast forward to 2010 and that’s precisely what appears to be happening.
Gonzalez, now one of baseball’s worst kept secrets, will look to keep his banner campaign going as the Rockies eye a three-game sweep of the San Diego Padres on Sunday at Petco Park.
The once surging Padres have fallen back to Earth, suffering their ninth consecutive loss with Saturday’s 6-1 setback. Gonzalez provided the damage, finishing with three hits, including a two-run double that broke things open in the eighth.
The losing skid is San Diego’s longest since 2003. Now the Padres, who owned a 6.5-game lead in the NL West on Aug. 25, hold just a two-game advantage over San Francisco in the standings.
The Rockies, meanwhile, are not yet out of it themselves, climbing back within 5.5 games of first place.
For Gonzalez it was just another day at the park. The 24-year-old outfielder has turned it on of late and currently leads the NL with a .335 batting average, as well as ranking third in RBIs with 95 and fifth in home runs with 31. Not to mention his 21 stolen bases and Gold Glove caliber defense.
It’s been quite a breakout for Gonzalez, who set career-highs in homers (13) and RBIs (29) last season, easily obliterating those marks this go-around.
While many pitchers have yet to figure out a way to contain him, Clayton Richard (12-6, 3.50 ERA) will draw the task as he toes the rubber for the Padres.
Gonzalez has fared so-so against the lefty, notching just three singles in 12 career at-bats.
Richard will be hard to conquer despite coming off a loss to Philadelphia on Sunday in which he allowed two earned runs over seven innings of a 5-0 setback. Prior to that, he was 5-0 over six starts.
Richard has made six career outings versus the Rockies and is 1-1 with a 4.79 ERA.
Colorado starter Jorge De La Rosa (5-4, 4.26 ERA) will hope for better results than from the last time he faced the Padres. De La Rosa was charged with five runs in just 4 1/3 innings of a no-decision on July 9.
The left-hander has been efficient of late, allowing three runs over 14 innings in his last two appearances.
The Rockies have taken 10-of-14 contests from the Padres on the campaign.