Colorado @ San Diego preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 13, 2013 ) Colorado 9, San Diego 5

The Colorado Rockies are gaining confidence, even if they keep beating one of the worst teams in the National League. Colorado will try for a sweep - and make it 6-for-6 on the season over the Padres - when it visits San Diego on Sunday in the finale of the three-game series. The Rockies have outscored the Padres 36-16 in 2013, but are dominating a team that is hitting .245 with six home runs and owns a 5.55 ERA and 1.68 WHIP - both worst in the major leagues.

The Rockies are doing their thing at the plate, averaging 5.7 runs and getting production up and down the lineup. Catcher Wilin Rosario, who led NL rookies with 28 home runs in 2012, is hitting .361 with four homers and 10 RBIs after recording a career-high four hits and matching a career best by driving in three runs in Saturday's 9-5 victory. Rosario is also excelling behind the plate, throwing out 4-of-6 would-be basestealers.

TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, ROOT Sports (Colorado), Fox Sports San Diego

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies LH Jorge De La Rosa (0-1, 6.10 ERA) vs. Padres LH Clayton Richard (0-1, 8.68)

De La Rosa did a decent job in his last outing when he allowed three runs and six hits in six innings. He made one big mistake, though, allowing a three-run homer to Hunter Pence in San Francisco's 4-2 victory on Monday. De La Rosa underwent Tommy John surgery after making 10 starts in 2011 and returned for three appearances at the end of last season. He is 4-2 with a 5.54 ERA in 15 games (11 starts) lifetime against San Diego, including 1-1, 3.05 at Petco Park.

It didn't look like Richard would be around very long when he allowed nine of the first 15 batters to reach base in his last start. He settled down, though, and allowed two runs and eight hits in five innings to give San Diego a chance to earn a 9-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday. The Mets crushed him for eight runs in 4 1/3 innings in his first outing. Richard is 2-4 with a 5.68 ERA in 11 starts against the Rockies, whose roster is hitting .353 against him.

WALK-OFFS

1. San Diego LF Carlos Quentin did not start Saturday and popped out in a pinch-hitting role with runners at second and third and one out in the eighth inning. Quentin was suspended eight games for charging the mound in a benches-clearing incident against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday, but is appealing.

2. Colorado leads the major leagues with 15 homers on the road.

3. San Diego SS Everth Cabrera, who led the NL with 44 steals last season, has been caught stealing by Rosario in each of the first two games of the series. Cabrera fell a double short of becoming the first Padres player to hit for the cycle on Saturday.

PREDICTION: Rockies 6, Padres 5