San Diego Padres: Series Preview: Padres vs. Rockies

The San Diego Padres hit the road again this week for a three game series against yet another division opponent, the Colorado Rockies.

After a successful brief weekend homestand at Petco Park, the San Diego Padres are backon the road, this time traveling to the Mile High city. The third series of the season will be yet another divisional clash, as the 3-4 Padres take on the 5-2 Rockies.

The series will feature a bit of a different look for San Diego’s rotation, but most likely similar lineups to the last three days, as the Padres have had a good amount of success offensively.

The biggest challenge in facing the Rockies will definitely be their potent lineup, one which is helped by an extremely hitter friendly park. Due to this, it is virtually unrealistic to expect San Diego starters to leave Colorado without a severely inflated ERA.

But the Padres can compensate for this offensively, as they have been hitting their share of home runs in the early going. In the end, this three game battle will come down to damage control, situational hitting, and the two clubs’ bullpens.

Monday, 5:40 PM: Cosart vs. Chatwood

The series opener will immediately give the Padres a look at their sixth starter, Jarred Cosart, who is slated to pitch for the first time. Cosart will oppose Tyler Chatwood, a 27-year-old California native.

San Diego should be able to get on the board in this one early and often, bu the concern is with Cosart starting. If the starter can escape five innings without surrendering any crooked number of runs, San Diego will be in position to compete with their strong back end of the bullpen.

This is a major question though, as San Diego starters have struggled already this season. As talented as the Dodgers and Giants are offensively, facing the Rockies in Colorado is uncharted territory.

Tuesday, 5:40 PM: Weaver vs. Senzatela

The Padres hope to get veteran Jered Weaver back on track in the middle game of the series after a forgettable opening performance. Weaver will go toe to toe with 22-year-old rookie Antonio Senzatela, a talented right-hander with upside.

The Padres should be able to score some runs in this one, but the major unknown is how well Weaver will pitch. A rebound outing would not take a gem of a performance, but just a producitve one in which the 34-year-old puts the club in position to win.

If the Padres want to win this series, the second game is one they must have, as winning both the first and third would be extremely difficult.

Wednesday, 12:10 PM: Perdomo vs. Freeland

Luis Perdomo returns to the mound for the Padres after valiantly fighting to keep the club competitive in Friday’s home opener, a thrilling game in which they rallied and won. Now, on the road at Coors Field, an entirely new hurdle stands in Perdomo’s way.

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Kyle Freeland is not a major obstacle, though the 23-year-old Denver native is competent enough to pitch in a game like this. The Padres will mainly need to overcome the offense of the Rockies, much like in the first two games of this series.

Overall, fans should expect a high scoring series in which momentum swings dramatically all throughout. The Padres ought to be aiming for another series victory, but it won’t be easy on the road against a 5-2 divisional opponent. Still, as of now, the club is well in contention, and winning games in the division on the road is exactly what they need to do in order to stay there as long as possible.

Next: Week #1 Recap

The three games in this series can each be seen locally on Fox Sports San Diego, and out of market with the purchase of MLB.TV. Radio broadcasts can be heard on FM 94.9. Also, take note of the odd start times, and Wednesday’s matinee.

Go Padres!