COLORADO ROCKIES NOTES:

OPEN FOR BUSINESS
• The Colorado Rockies have opened a season 2-0 for the seventh time in franchise history, the first time since 2019 … the Rockies are the only team in the Majors with two wins.
• Colorado has begun a season with at least three wins four times in franchise history: 2015, 2001, 1998 and 1995 … began the 1995 and 2015 seasons with a franchise-best four-straight wins.
• Rockies pitchers have combined to post a 1.50 ERA (18.0 IP, 3 ER) with 12 hits allowed, three walks and 15 strikeouts through these first two games … the three walks are tied for the second-fewest through two games in franchise history with the 2014 club, trailing the 2015 Rockies (one walk, 16 strikeouts).
• Through the first two games, the Rockies have hit .329 (26-for-79), their most hits through the first two games of a season since beginning 2015 with 28 hits … the franchise record for most hits through the first three games is 43, set in 2001.

TIME FLIES WHEN YOU’RE HAVING FUN
• Each of the Rockies’ first two games of the season have come under three hours … last night’s game time of 2:27 would have been the Rockies’ sixth-fastest game of the 2022 season.

CUT THE NETS
• Infielder Alan Trejo, Manager Bud Black and Head Trainer Keith Dugger, all graduates of San Diego State University, square off against pitcher Austin Gomber’s Florida Atlanta Owls this afternoon in the Final Four.
• Black pitched at San Diego State in 1978-79 and was inducted into the San Diego State Hall of Fame in 1992 … Trejo played three years for the Aztecs from 2015-17 while majoring in aerospace engineering … Dugger graduated from San Diego State in 1989.
• Gomber pitched three seasons at Florida Atlantic from 2012-14 before being selected in the fourth round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft by St. Louis, the fifth-highest draft pick in FAU baseball history.

OPEN ROAD
• The Rockies went 10-9 against the Padres during the 2022 season, including a 3-6 record at Petco Park vs. a 7-3 record at Coors Field … Rockies pitchers recorded a 5.36 ERA against San Diego while the offense scored an average of 4.8 runs per game.
• Since June 14, 2021 the Rockies have gone 22-12 against the Padres, outscoring them 164-155 … the Rockies are 13-6 vs. the Padres over that span in games decided by three or fewer runs.
• A win over the next two days will give the Rockies their first series win at Petco Park since July 9-11, 2021.
• Since losing eight-straight here in San Diego from Sept. 7, 2019 through July 9, 2021, the Rockies have gone 9-8 at Petco Park … they are 39-66 in all other road games over that same span.

HEART OF THE ORDER
• C.J. Cron and Charlie Blackmon are each tied for the National League lead with five hits … they are the first Rockies teammates to have at least five hits in the club’s first two games since Nolan Arenado and Troy Tulowitzki in 2015 … they are the first pair of Rockies teammates in franchise history to have at least five hits and at least one home run a piece.
• Cron, Blackmon, Kris Bryant and Elehuris Montero have combined to go 18-for-34 over the first two games.

OPEN BOOK
• On Thursday, Charlie Blackmon made his 10th career Opening Day start, surpassing Troy Tulowitzki (nine) and Carlos González (nine) for the second-most Opening Day starts behind Todd Helton’s 16.
• The 2023 season is Blackmon’s 13th on the Rockies’ Major League roster, the second-most seasons in Rockies history behind Todd Helton’s 17.

51 ROCKIES STARTING PITCHER JOSÉ UREÑA RHP

FRESH FACE
• Made 17 starts in a Rockies uniform, going 3-8 (Rockies 6-11) while posting a 5.14 ERA (89.1 IP, 51 ER) with 38 walks and 60 strikeouts … allowed 10 home runs while opponents slashed .289/.356/.425 (102-for-353).
• Was signed by the Rockies to a Minor League contract on May 16 … was a member of Milwaukee’s Opening Day roster and made four appearances out of the bullpen before being designated for assignment on May 2.
• Re-signed by the Rockies to a one-year Major League contract on Nov. 11, 2022.

SPRING HAS SPRUNG
• Went 1-2 with a 6.52 ERA (19.1 IP, 14 ER) through five Cactus League starts.
• In his final Spring start on March 27 at Milwaukee, allowed three earned runs through three frames after issuing four walks … all three runs scored off a William Contreras three-run home run.

THE FINAL STRETCH
• Spun at least five frames and allowed two or fewer earned runs in each of his last five starts for the Rockies in 2022, good for a 2.25 ERA (28.0 IP, 7 ER) through this span.

COORS FIELD
• Was 2-5 (Rockies 3-5) in eight starts at Coors Field in 2021, posting a 6.30 ERA (40.0 IP, 28 ER) with 18 walks and 29 strikeouts … allowed opponents to bat .311 (51-for-164) with six home runs … walked multiple batters in seven of eight starts (4.05 BB/9).
• Received a total of nine runs of support across his eight starts, with seven of those runs coming Aug. 19 vs. San Francisco in a 7-4 Rockies win … received no runs five times and one run twice.

NOT COORS FIELD
• Made nine starts away from home, going 1-3 (Rockies 3-6) and pitching to a 4.20 clip (49.1 IP, 23 ER) with 20 walks and 31 strikeouts … opponents hit .270 (51-for-189) with four home runs … logged four quality starts on the road and three at Coors Field.
• Tossed at least five innings in eight of nine starts and allowed three or fewer runs in seven of nine.

A ROUND OF APPLAUSE
• Had his contract selected from Triple-A Albuquerque on July 6, 2022 and made his first start in a Rockies uniform that night at Dodger Stadium.
• Did not factor into the Rockies’ 2-1 loss despite tossing 6.2 innings and allowing one run on five hits with three walks and two strikeouts … tossed six scoreless innings before exiting the game in the seventh inning with the bases loaded and two outs … runner came around to score on a wild pitch by reliever Jake Bird.
• 11th start of his career, third on the road, tossing at least 6.2 innings and allowing one or fewer runs (last: April 14, 2019 vs. Philadelphia).
• Became the 15th pitcher in franchise history to toss at least 6.2 innings and allow one or fewer runs in his first start with the club (last: Tim Melville, Aug. 21, 2019 at Arizona).

SUPPORT SYSTEM
• Received two or fewer runs of support in 14 of his 17 2022 outings, including one run and zero runs six times each.
• His 2.42 run support average was the lowest in the Majors (min. 15 GS) … lowest RSA by a Rockies starter in a single-season in franchise history (min. 15 GS).

SWEET AND SOUR AND SWEET AGAIN
• Began his Rockies career in 2022 with three-straight quality starts July 6-16, going 1-1 with a 1.45 ERA (18.2 IP, 3 ER) over that span … became the fifth Rockie in franchise history to record a quality start in each of his first three starts with the club, joining Joe Kennedy (four-straight, 2004), Jon Garland (2013), Jason Jennings (2001) and Bryan Rekar (1995).
• In his start on Aug. 24 vs. Texas, became the first Rockie in history to allow at least nine hits and nine earned runs in 1.1 innings or fewer, the 24th in Major League history (last: Mike Fiers, Sept. 9, 2021 at Houston; 1.0 IP, 9 H, 9 ER).
• Earned his first win as a Rockie on July 16 vs. Pittsburgh, tossing six scoreless innings in a 2-0 Rockies win … sixth time in his career tossing at least six scoreless, the first time since July 29, 2018 vs. Washington.
• In 17 starts with the Rockies, posted seven quality outings and allowed five or more earned runs four times.

BREW CREW
• Was signed by the Brewers to a Minor League contract on March 29, 2022 and had his contract selected to the Major League roster on March 30.
• Made four relief appearances with the Brewers in April before being designated for assignment on May 2 … cleared waivers and was outrighted to the Minors on May 9 … refused his Minor League assignment and declared free agency the same day.
• Was scoreless in two of four relief outings, allowing a combined five runs (three earned) on seven hits across 7.2 innings (3.52 ERA) … walked five while striking out three.
• Last relief outing came on April 26 at Pittsburgh … allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits across 2.1 innings.

SAN DIEGO PADRES NOTES:

Padres drop 2nd straight to start the season to the Rockies
• Starter Nick Martinez was saddled with the loss after allowing 4 runs on 6 hits with 2 walks…he punched out 5 batters with a homer allowed.
• Ha-Seong Kim went 3-for-3 with a double.
• After going 0-for-10 with RISP on Opening Day, the Padres went 0-for-5 with RISP last night. Crone Zone gets extended: Padres sign INF Jake
Cronenworth to new 7-year contract extension
• Today, the Padres have signed infielder Jake Cronenworth to a new seven-year contract extension through the 2030 season…the 2x All-Star and 2020 NL Rookie of the Year runner up has hit .256 (340-for-1,326) with a .338 OBP, .431 SLG, .770 OPS, 78 doubles, 14 triples, 42 home runs, 179 RBI, 10 stolen bases, 143 walks and 208 runs scored in 364 career games with SD.
• Said Cronenworth in his press conference today, “If you look at the core group of guys — and a lot of them are sitting here and hopefully there’s more to come to keep us all together — I don’t think you could ask for a better group to stay together [with] for a long period of time.” Padres hoping to cash in those runners in scoring position
• San Diego batters have had a combined 15 at bats in their 1st 2 games with runners in scoring position, and they’ve still yet to get a single hit in those situations.

San Diego Sports Saturday!
• The Padres will open select gates at Petco Park at 2:30 p.m. so fans can come together in cheering on the San Diego State Aztecs prior to first pitch at 5:40 p.m. against the Colorado Rockies.
• Fans will have the opportunity to get ahead of traffic, arrive to the ballpark early, and settle in with select concessions open early to enjoy a super sports Saturday in San Diego. The Home Plate and Park Blvd gates will open at 2:30 p.m., while all other Petco Park gates will open at 3:30 p.m. Michael Wacha gets his 1st start as a Padre
• Michael Wacha makes his Padre debut today, having signed on February 16 this year as a Major League free agent…he’s pitched in 5 games (all starts) in his career at Petco Park, and he’s gone 3-1 with a 2.61 ERA in downtown SD.

STARTING PITCHER – MICHAEL WACHA

Wacha gets Game 3
31-year-old Michael Wacha is set to make his Padre debut tonight vs. COL in Game 3 of this 4-game set…it will be his first start vs. COL since the 2019 season and the 7th of his career 1 of his 2 career double-digit strikeout games came in ’15 vs. the Rockies at Coors Field on June 9, 2015. when he struck out 10…his other 10-strikeout game came on April 23, 2014 @ NYM.

Since 2019
Tonight will mark Wacha’s first matchup vs. an NL West opponent since the 2019 campaign… he’s made 36 career appearances (35 starts) vs. the NL West, going a combined 9-9 with a 3.95 ERA (82 ER, 187.0 IP).

Wacha vs. the Rocks
Kris Bryant (.324 AVG in 37 at-bats), Mike Moustakas (.091 in 22 at-bats) and Charlie Blackmon (.368 in 19 at-bats) account for the 3 Rockies on their current roster that have at least 10 at-bats vs. Wacha…the other 6 current Rockies that have at least 1 AB vs. Wacha are a combined 3-for-24 (.125).

Welcome to the Pads
Enters his 12th professional season and his 11th big league season in ’23…he owns a career 74-50 record and a 4.05 ERA (519 ER, 1153.2 IP) in 225 ML appearances (204 starts) across 10 seasons for STL (2013-19), NYM (2020), TB (2021) and BOS (2022). Wacha aims to replicate the fast start in ’22 In ’22, he had a 2.61 ERA through 20 starts before allowing 14 runs over 13.1 IP in his final 3 outings…he allowed 2 runs-or-fewer and 4 hits-or-fewer in each of his first 6 starts.

Barkeep…order me another 10-plus win season
The 2022 season was Michael’s 3rd season with 10-or-more wins (17 wins in 2015 and 12 in 2017), and it was his 6th season making 20-or-more starts (and the 3rd time in the last three 162-game seasons).

When it matters most
Has made 8 career Postseason appearances (6 starts) between STL (2013-15) and TB (2021)…owns the MLB Postseason rookie records for longest scoreless-innings streak (18.2 IP in 2013) and most strikeouts in a single Postseason (33 in 2013).

A Wacha in the (Petco) Park
Wacha has made a total of 5 starts at Petco Park, and turned in 5 quality starts, going a combined 3-1 with a 2.61 ERA (9 ER, 31.0 IP)…he earned the winning decision in each of his first 3 starts at Petco from 2015-17.

Wacha approaching the 10.000 ML service time plateau
Wacha entered the 2023 campaign with 9.062 years of ML service time, which ranked 5th on SD’s Opening Day roster, behind only Nelson Cruz (15.000), Yu Darvish (11.000), Matt Carpenter (10.145) and Manny Machado (10.056).