The Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres oppose each other in the middle game of their three-game weekend series at Coors Field later this afternoon with the Rockies looking to build-upon their first back-to-back victories since June 3 and 4 when they beat Los Angeles and Arizona on successive days. Colorado is once again hoping Christian Friedrich (4-5, 5.86) can follow an instructive performance from Jeff Francis, who yesterday turned-in the Rockies’ sole competent start since his previous one Monday against the Nationals. The lefty Friedrich will face San Diego right-hander Edinson Volquez (4-7, 3.82), who went 6 2/3 scoreless innings against Seattle last Sunday.
The Rockies will entertain their fans with fireworks again following tonight’s game, but a third-straight victory will make the evening even sweeter for the sell-out crowd expected to invade lower downtown. Tonight’s weather is expected to parallel that of last night, with the city entrenched in the usual day-to-day summer meteorologic pattern. Cloudy skies, gusty winds, lightning and thunder, and splatters of rain are expected to give way to calm and pleasant fire-cracker gawking.
Colorado has posted up run totals of 11 and 10 the past two nights and Washington put-up 12 on Tuesday and 11 Wednesday as Coors Field continues to surrender offensive outbursts. FOX has included tonight’s game in its weekly regional television coverage, meaning the telecast will be on free TV, channel 31. The radio boys at KOA am 850 will handle the ears-only broadcast. Game-time is 5:15 MDT. The teams will line up like this:
| SAN DIEGO (28-50) RF Chris Denorfia 2B Logan Forsythe 3B Chase Headley LF Carlos Quentin C Yasmani Grandal 1B Yonder Alonso CF Cameron Maybin SS Alexi Amarista P Edinson Volquez |
COLORADO (30-46) CF Dexter Fowler SS Marco Scutaro LF Carlos Gonzalez RF Michael Cuddyer 1B Todd Helton 3B Jordan Pacheco 2B Chris Nelson C Wilin Rosario P Christian Friedrich |
