Colorado @ San Diego preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 9, 2016 ) Colorado 4, San Diego 1

Charlie Blackmon's back is feeling better so naturally he inflicted some pain on the San Diego Padres. The Colorado Rockies' center fielder smacked a two-run homer Friday to increase his career-best total to 24 and looks for another productive outing against the host Padres on Saturday.

Blackmon missed five consecutive starts because of the soreness and went hitless in Thursday's series-opening defeat before belting the key homer in Friday's 4-1 victory. The left-handed hitter is batting a torrid .363 over his last 33 games and ranks fourth in the National League in batting at .314. Rockies second baseman DJ LeMahieu is second in the batting race at .341 and he went 1-for-4 on Friday and has reached base in 26 consecutive games. San Diego had just five hits in Friday's defeat with rookie left fielder Alex Dickerson hitting a homer for the only run to improve to 8-for-18 with six runs scored during a five-game hitting streak.

TV: 8:40 p.m. ET, ROOT (Colorado) FSN San Diego

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Jon Gray (9-7, 4.51 ERA) vs. Padres LH Christian Friedrich (4-10, 4.99)

Gray has struggled of late and is 1-3 with a 7.26 ERA over his past six starts. He lost to Arizona in his last turn when he gave up five runs and seven hits over seven innings. Gray is 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA and 0.77 WHIP in five career starts against San Diego and the victory came on June 5 when he gave up two runs and five hits and struck out a career-high 12 in a seven-inning effort.

Friedrich began his career with the Rockies in 2012 and all 68 of his 2015 appearances were in relief. He struck out nine and gave up one unearned run and two hits in six innings in a no-decision on June 12 in his lone career start against Colorado. Friedrich has lost eight consecutive decisions since last winning on June 23.

WALK-OFFS

1. Padres 1B Wil Myers is 5-for-31 with no extra-base hits over the past eight games.

2. Colorado RF Carlos Gonzalez had two hits Friday and is batting .333 with five homers and 13 RBIs in 51 at-bats against the Padres this season.

3. San Diego C Derek Norris (arm) sat out Friday after being struck by a foul ball Thursday — X-rays were negative.

PREDICTION: Rockies 8, Padres 6