A series win is on the horizon, but the Padres have one more challenge to get through before they can celebrate. Today they'll close out their four-game set against the Rockies with Ian Kennedy on the mound against Franklin Morales.
Kennedy is coming off a start against the Tigers in which he gave up four runs in the first four innings before settling down and shutting them out for two more innings. Overall this season, he's allowed eight runs on 16 hits in 17 innings of work, issuing three hits and collecting 16 strikeouts. He has a 3-2 record with a 2.25 ERA in his last eight starts against Colorado, and he's found great success pitching at Petco Park since he joined the team last Summer, so hopefully he can continue those trends and help the Padres get on top in today's matinee game.
The Padres have won five of their last seven, improving from a 2-6 record to a 7-8 record going into this afternoon's matchup. They've gone back and forth with the Rockies between 3rd and 4th place in the NL West standings this series, and today they find themselves one game under .500.
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Morales will try to keep them below the .500 mark and get the Rockies back above the Padres in the division standings. Morales won a spot in Colorado's rotation out of Spring Training. The Rockies moved the lefty to the bullpen after two less-than-stellar starts (nine runs on 16 hits in 11 2/3 innings), and he made one relief appearance, giving up only one walk and striking out two in an inning of work on Sunday. But Rockies starter Brett Anderson suffered a broken finger and had to exit the game on Saturday, opening up a spot in the rotation again for Morales to try and redeem himself as a starter.
The southpaw made one career start against the Padres in his rookie year in 2007 and held them to one hit in six scoreless frames. Since then he's pitched 14 relief innings against San Diego, compiling a 6.28 ERA.
See how the series ends this afternoon at 3:40 PDT. B Cres is making his season debut up in section 311/313 so make sure you go up and say hi to him if you're going to the game, and tweet him (@Bobbycressey) your song requests for him to play on the organ.