Lyles aims to stay perfect vs. Padres
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(SportsNetwork.com) - Jordan Lyles puts his unblemished record on the line Saturday when the Colorado Rockies continue a three-game series with the San Diego Padres at Coors Field.
Lyles won his second straight start on Saturday in Cincinnati, as he allowed a pair of runs and four hits over six innings of an 11-2 win. He also struck out a season-high eight batters and improved to a perfect 5-0 on the year to go along with a 2.66 ERA.
"This game from the get-go came down to our offense and the home runs," Lyles said. "I was effectively wild, I guess you would say -- a lot of walks and a lot of thee-ball counts and falling behind guys. But it worked out.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I'd prefer not striking out that many, as weird as it sounds. I would prefer getting ground balls early in counts."
Lyles did not get a decision against the Padres earlier in the year and is just 1-2 in four starts against them with a 5.48 ERA.
San Diego, meanwhile, will counter with lefty Robbie Erlin, who is 2-4 with a 4.22 ERA. Erlin, though, is coming off his best outing of the season on Sunday against Miami, as he scattered five hits and struck out seven in 6 1/3 scoreless innings to nail down his first win since April 9.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Since allowing eight runs in a start on April 25, Erlin has allowed a combined four earned runs in his last three starts, covering 20 innings.
"Robbie was good," Black said. "Good three-pitch mix. It's about him using his three pitches effectively. He's capable of doing the type of work that he did today."
Erlin lost to the Rockies back on April 15.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Colorado drew first blood in this series on Friday, as Jorge De La Rosa spun seven shutout innings in the Rockies' 3-1 triumph.
De La Rosa (5-3), who took a no-hitter into the seventh, allowed one hit and a walk with five strikeouts to earn the win, which gives De La Rosa a victory in five straight starts and helped the Rockies snap a three-game skid.
"It was a great performance," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said of De La Rosa.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}LaTroy Hawkins allowed a run in the ninth but still managed to nail down his 10th save of the season.
San Diego starter Eric Stults (2-4) was charged with two runs -- one earned -- on six hits over 6 2/3 innings in the loss.
"It was a pitchers' duel all the way, which is a rarity (at Coors Field)," Padres manager Bud Black said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}San Diego and Colorado split a four-game set at Petco Park in mid-April.