Andrew Werner tries to continue an impressive beginning to his major league career as he takes the hill for the San Diego Padres on Sunday afternoon in the finale of a three-game set versus the Colorado Rockies.
Signed out of a tryout camp back in 2010, Werner has thrown four quality outings in as many starts since joining San Diego's rotation. He won his debut versus the Pirates on Aug. 22. and then went 0-1 in two starts despite allowing just four runs over 12 innings.
The left-hander, though, found the win column on Sunday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, allowing a run on four hits and three walks in 6 1/3 innings. He also showed the Padres some composure, settling down after a rough start.
"The first three innings, he wasn't quite on the mark, you saw the elevated pitch count," Padres manager Bud Black said on his team's official website. "Then Andrew, for whatever reason, got back in the strike zone. I like the way he ended it. The fourth, fifth and sixth (innings) were really solid."
Werner, 25, has fanned 23 batters in 24 1/3 innings with the Padres, all while logging a 2.59 earned run average. He faces the Rockies for the first time.
Alex White would love to go on a similar run to Werner and the Colorado right- hander first aims to log his first victory since June 3.
White is 0-5 in 13 starts since that victory and has gone more than four innings just twice in that time, largely due to his club's 75-pitch limit for its starters.
After getting handed consecutive losing starts, the 24-year-old did not factor into a 6-5 win over the San Francisco Giants on Monday, allowing a run on six hits over four innings. He also contributed at the plate, hitting the first home run of his career.
White is 2-8 with a 5.18 ERA in 19 starts this season and holds a career mark of 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA in three meetings with the Padres.
San Diego evened this series on Saturday with a 4-3 win, getting an RBI double from Andy Parrino and a key three-run homer early from Jesus Guzman.
Casey Kelly earned the win after giving up three runs -- two earned -- on seven hits over six-plus innings as the Padres won for the fifth time in six games.
"The breaking ball was very solid today," Black noted of Kelly's outing. "Velocity came back today."
Luke Gregerson worked a perfect ninth to earn his eighth save of the year.
Chris Nelson went 2-for-4 with an RBI double and Charlie Blackmon had two hits and knocked in a run for the Rockies, who have dropped eight of their last 10.
Drew Pomeranz lasted just three innings after giving up four runs on four hits, including Guzman's key homer in the third.
"More times than not you pay for that," Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. "It's quite an uphill battle in this ballpark."
San Diego owns a slight 9-8 edge in the season series.
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