The San Diego Padres aim to avoid a fifth straight loss this evening as they open a three-game series with the Colorado Rockies.
San Diego is just 2-8 on the young season and opened up a six-game road trip by losing all three games in Los Angeles. A tough series for the Padres ended on a sour note in a 5-4 loss on Sunday, with the club hitting into an odd triple play in a tie game in the ninth before the Dodgers won the game in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the frame.
With runners on first and second, Jesus Guzman attempted a sacrifice bunt, but the pitch came up and in. Guzman attempted to get out of the way of the pitch, which hit off his bat and was ruled fair. The runners on base, though, thought the ball was foul and didn't advance, leading to an around-the-horn triple play.
Padres manager Bud Black was ejected for arguing with Scott over the decision.
"I saw the umpire go up to Guzman and point to his right leg, and thought it was foul. The home plate umpire raised his hands twice, then pointed that it was fair. I wasn't satisfied with his call," said Black.
It was a tough break for Guzman, who is hitting only .162 on the season with 11 strikeouts. Things got worse when the Dodgers' Dee Gordon drove in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth.
The Padres attempt to rebound this evening behind Cory Luebke, who looks for a better start to the game this evening. The left-hander earned a no-decision on Wednesday versus Arizona and lasted 5 1/3 innings. He gave up one run, which came in the first inning when he walked four batters in a 43-pitch frame. Luebke retired 13 of the final 17 batters faced.
The 26-year-old faced the Rockies eight times last season, including two starts, and went 1-1 with a 3.38 earned run average while holding Colorado to a .175 average with 18 strikeouts over 18 2/3 innings.
The Rockies had a better weekend, taking their first two games versus the Diamondbacks before losing Sunday's finale. Colorado plated 15 runs in the two wins, but did not get on the board in Sunday's 5-2 loss until Tyler Colvin's RBI groundout with the bases loaded and an infield single by Troy Tulowitzki that scored a run.
Drew Pomeranz suffered the loss after being charged with five runs on nine hits and two walks in just 4 1/3 innings.
"I threw a lot of balls down the middle," Pomeranz said. "I missed over the middle of the plate to a good fastball-hitting team, and that's what happens."
Colorado played the final two games of the series without Carlos Gonzalez, who is battling strep throat.
The Rockies will start Jeremy Guthrie, who after winning his Colorado debut was hammered in a no-decision versus San Francisco on Wednesday. The right- hander gave up six runs on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings, giving up two homers in his shortest outing since also going 3 1/3 frames on July 10 of last year.
The 33-year-old has faced the Padres only once before, doing so on June 20, 2007. He lasted eight innings and yielded a run on four hits while striking out nine in a win.
The Padres and Rockies split 18 meetings a season ago, with San Diego winning the last four.
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