MLB Preview: San Diego Padres (30-33) at Colorado Rockies (26-39)

SAN DIEGO PADRES NOTES:

No team release available.

COLORADO ROCKIES NOTES:

• The Rockies continue a six-game homestand tonight with the second game of a three-game set against San Diego, the second time the two teams have met this season and the first at Coors Field.
• Coming off a three-game sweep by San Francisco to begin the homestand after going 2-5 on a seven-game road trip to Arizona (0-4) and Kansas City (2-1).
• The Rockies have fallen to season-worst 13 games below .500 after their fifth-straight loss, their second losing streak this season of at least five games.
• After an off-day Monday, the club’s first since May 18, the Rockies are now in a stretch of 16 straight days with a game before their next off day on June 22, for a total of 33 games in 34 days from May 19-June 21.

D-FENCE

• Catcher Elias Díaz’s 1.3 dWAR (Baseball Reference) is tied for the second-highest mark among all players, the best among all catchers … 3B Ryan McMahon ranks eighth (1.0 dWAR) and SS Ezequiel Tovar is tied for 11th (0.9 dWAR) among all Major League position players.
• The Rockies’ have only one miscue through their last eight games … the team’s 13 errors through 37 games since April 30 are tied for the second-fewest in baseball … started the season with an MLB-leading 21 errors through April 28 (28 games).

NL WEST WOES

• The Rockies have lost eight in a row and 14 of 15 against NL West teams, having been outscored 56-106 over that span … have not had a winning record against the division since going 41-36 in the club’s 91-72 2018 campaign.
• Dating back to the beginning of 2022, the Rockies have gone 12-12 against the Padres, splitting the 2023 opening series in San Diego 2-2.
• Since 2020 at home, the Rockies are 17-10 against the Padres despite having a -5 run differential (148-152) … are 14-5 against the Padres at Coors Field since May 12, 2021.

JONES JIVING

• Nolan Jones recorded a season-high and career-high tying three hits Thursday and reached twice via walk last night … the 25-year-old is slashing .349/.404/.581 with 10 RBI in 13 games since being recalled from Triple-A on May 26.
• Has a stolen base in each of his last four games, one of eight Rockies (10 times) to steal a base in as many or more consecutive games, the first since Charlie Blackmon in 2011 … Charlie Blackmon was the last Rockie to swipe a bag in five-consecutive games (June 11-15, 2011), matching Willy Tavares (Aug.13-17, 2008) and Juan Pierre (May 7-12, 2001) for the franchise record.
• Jones’ 483-foot home run Wednesday night is the second-longest home run in the Majors this season behind Giancarlo Stanton’s 485’ home run on April 2 vs. San Francisco.
• The home run was measured at 114.2 mph off the bat, the third-hardest hit home run by a Rockies player in the Statcast Era (since 2015), trailing two Carlos González home runs hit in 2016 (117.4 mph, June 4 at Arizona) and 2018 (114.4 mph, July 31 at Cincinnati).

MAC ATTACK

• Third baseman Ryan McMahon has reached base in 15 of his last 17 with nine multi-hit games since May 23 … since May 25 (15 games), is slashing .400/.471/.767 with five doubles, one triple, five home runs and 17 RBI.
• McMahon’s 1.9 WAR (Baseball Reference) is the best among NL players with at least 50% of their games at third base … his nine defensive runs saved at third base are tied with Ke’Bryan Hayes for the most among third basemen (via. Sports Info Solutions).
• Since moving from second base to third base on April 18, McMahon has slashed .282/.356/.494 with 15 doubles, two triples, six home runs and 28 RBI.

BATTER UP

• The Rockies’ .293 batting average with runners in scoring position is the second-highest mark in the Majors trailing the Texas Rangers (.334), … the next closest NL team, Washington, holds a .268 average … at this point in the season, that mark is the sixth-highest in franchise history, the team’s highest mark since 2000 (.309).
• The Rockies’ .263 RISP average in 2022 was the ninth-lowest for a season in franchise history, while the team’s .252 mark in 2021 was the third-lowest and their .248 average in 2020 was the second-worst.

BABY GOT BACKSTOP

• Rockies catcher Elias Díaz’s .299 batting average ranks eighth in the National League and is the highest among all MLB catchers … his .346 (36-for-104) average at home is the fourth-highest in the Majors while his .382 (21-for-55) average with runners in scoring position is the fifth-highest in the NL, 11th in baseball.
• Has appeared in 53 games at catcher, the second-most in the Majors … his 11 catcher caught stealing are the third-most in the Majors.

ROCKIES STARTING PITCHER – #21 KYLE FREELAND LHP
DENVER KID

• Kyle Freeland will make his 14th start of the season today, his eighth at Coors Field.
• The 30-year-old Denver native graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School, 15 minutes south of Coors Field … selected in the first round
  of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft (eighth overall), the third player in University of Evansville history to be drafted in the first round.
• The Rockies announced on April 19, 2022 that they agreed to a five-year contract extension with Freeland covering the 2022-26 seasons … the extension includes two arbitration years and three years of free agency.

WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS

• Suffered his seventh loss of the season, his third in his last four starts, his last time out, last Sunday at Kansas City … pitched seven innings (plus one batter in the eighth) and allowed two runs on four hits with no walks and one strikeout.
• Took a no-hitter into the fifth inning before allowing a one-out double to MJ Melendez.
• Allowed a solo home run to Maikel Garcia to leadoff the eighth inning before being removed … third time in his career pitching into the eighth inning, his first time since 2017.
• Second time this season pitching at least seven innings, the only Rockies starter this year to pitch seven innings.

SOMETHING FOR THE EFFORT

• Has received 24 runs of support while in the game, a 3.04 run support average that is the third-lowest in the Majors.
• The Rockies have scored just one run while he was in the game over his last four starts overall … has not received a run of support over any of his last four road starts.

FRIARS

• Beat the Padres on March 31 in San Diego, tossing six scoreless innings with three hits allowed, one walk and one strikeout.
• In 21 career appearances (19 starts) against the Padres has gone 7-6 (Rockies 12-9) with a 4.40 ERA (106.1 IP, 52 ER) … has allowed just nine home runs in his career to the Padres.
• 3-2 (Rockies 6-3) with a 6.31 ERA (45.2 IP, 32 ER) in nine starts against the Padres at Coors Field … has posted a 9.97 ERA (21.2 IP, 24 ER) in his last five home starts against the Padres since Aug. 28, 2020.

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS

• Gone 3-2 with a 3.38 ERA (37.1 IP, 14 ER), nine walks and 31 strikeouts in seven home starts.
• Is 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA (16.0 IP, 2 ER) over his last three home starts and 2-1 with a 2.05 ERA (22.0 IP, 5 ER) over his last four.
• Career record of 31-26 (Rockies 50-35) with a 4.65 ERA (450.2 IP, 233 ER) in 85 appearances (82 starts) at Coors Field … ERA eighth all-time at Coors Field among pitchers with at least 40 starts, 31 wins tied for fourth with Jon Gray and Jason Jennings.

DONUT

• Has six games this season in which he has tossed at least five scoreless innings, already tied for the second-most such games in a single season in franchise history … his next game of five-plus scoreless innings will tie him with Ubaldo Jiménez in 2010 for the most in franchise history.
• His seven quality starts this season lead the club and are tied for ninth in the NL.