Luebke leads Padres to 7-1 win over Rockies

DENVER – Cory Luebke threw seven efficient innings and Chase Headley tied a team record with three doubles, helping the San Diego Padres snap a four-game skid with a 7-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Monday night.

Luebke (1-1) breezed through the Rockies lineup on a brisk night, giving up six hits and one run.

Lately, the Padres have made themselves quite at home at Coors Field, winning seven of their past nine in the hitter friendly park. They did a bulk of their damage with doubles, hitting seven for the game.

Jeremy Guthrie (1-1) was feeling under the weather, but gave it a go despite a sore throat. With the bullpen taxed from so much recent work, Guthrie really had no choice but to hang in there as long as possible. The righty allowed six runs and nine hits before being lifted for a pinch hitter.

Nick Hundley drove in three runs, Cameron Maybin added two RBIs and Headley scored three runs. Not only that, but Headley's three doubles was the 35th time in team history a player has done that and the first since Hundley on Aug. 31, 2010.

Gold Glove shortstop Troy Tulowitzki remains in a fielding funk for the Rockies as he committed his fourth error of the season on a hard grounder by Luebke, which led to a run. He had only six miscues all of last season.

Colorado scored in the second when Tyler Colvin singled in Michael Cuddyer. That would be all the damage Luebke allowed.

The lefty was even allowed to work his way out of a jam in his last inning. With two on and two out, Luebke got pinch hitter Jason Giambi to ground out to end the threat.

Andrew Cashner pitched the eighth and Micah Owings finished the ninth.

The Padres jumped on Guthrie early, scoring twice in the first inning and another in the second.

Guthrie was facing the Padres for only the second time in his career. He held San Diego to a run over eight innings in a win on June 20, 2007, while with Baltimore.

Headley had a solid game against the team he grew up idolizing. He's from nearby in Fountain, Colo., and always seems to hit well at Coors Field.

Then again, he hits well at all stops on the road — hitting .304 from home.

Carlos Gonzalez missed a third straight game with strep throat. He said his strength is steadily returning, maybe even enough to play on Tuesday night.

"I don't feel 100 percent yet, but getting better each day," he said before the game.

With their bullpen stretched thin, the Rockies needed Guthrie to go deep into the game. The relievers have already thrown 36 innings this season.

Guthrie took one for the team, throwing 103 pitches.

Just in case, manager Jim Tracy held off on starter Jhoulys Chacin's bullpen session Monday, preferring to wait to see if he might be needed in an emergency. The Rockies have a day off later in the week, so they could afford to push Chacin's throwing session back.

Before the game, San Diego activated utility player Mark Kotsay from the 15-day disabled list. The 36-year-old signed with the Padres last November, but missed the opening 10 games of the season due to a strained right calf muscle.

NOTES: To make room on the roster for Kotsay, the Padres optioned RHP Brad Brach to Triple-A Tucson on Monday. ... Rockies LHP Jorge De La Rosa tossed 60 pitches a four-inning simulated game on Monday. He's still mending from elbow surgery that sidelined him last season. ... LHP Josh Outman (oblique strain) threw 30 pitches in a bullpen session. He will throw another on Wednesday. ... The Rockies broke ground over the weekend on a baseball academy in the Dominican Republic. The academy will cost around $6 million.