The San Diego Padres open a six-game homestand this week with a short window to improve their postseason position before the trade deadline, and the first test is a Rockies vs Padres matchup that puts Michael King on the mound against Michael Lorenzen.
The Padres entered the series 1½ games out of a wild-card spot after finishing a 5-5 road trip, their first road trip of the second half before the sweep in Miami. That leaves little margin for error at home, especially with the deadline looming and the race in the NL tightening around them.
King gets another look at Colorado
King has already given the Padres a strong recent answer against the Rockies. Last year, he threw a two-hit shutout against Colorado, striking out eight and walking one. This time, he is scheduled to start again after allowing two earned runs or fewer in each of his last four starts.
That kind of consistency has mattered for a San Diego team trying to stay within striking distance in the wild-card race. The Padres have won six of seven games against the Rockies this year, so this is also a matchup in which they have already shown they can control the series.
Colorado trying to find answers
The Rockies come in with the majors’ worst winning percentage and are 13 games out of a wild-card spot, which makes the contrast between the two teams clear. Colorado’s rotation and bullpen have both been among the weakest in the league by ERA, so the pressure on Lorenzen is immediate.
Offensively, Hunter Goodman has given the Rockies one of their few steady power sources. He has hit five of his team-high 31 homers this month and has a 1.083 OPS in July, but Colorado will need more than one hot bat to keep pace.
For the Padres, the top of the lineup has started to deliver more punch. Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill each have seven homers this month, while Ty France has added six. If that production continues, San Diego has a real chance to make this homestand count before the deadline arrives.
