Ian Kennedy (0-1, 10.80 ERA) and the San Diego Padres (11-12) go up against Eddie Butler (2-1, 3.27 ERA) and the Colorado Rockies (11-10) in the first of a three-game division series at Petco Park. The game gets underway at 10:10 p.m. ET on Friday, May. 1 and will air on ROOT-RM and FSN-SD.
Kennedy is 5-4 with a 2.86 ERA against the Rockies in his career, but faces a strong Colorado offense that’s hitting .280 on the year. Matt Kemp (.326, 16 Rs, 1 HR, 16 RBIs, 4 SBs) went 1 for 4 Wednesday with two RBIs. The Rockies were victorious over the Giants 6-4 the last time Butler pitched. He went 6.0 innings, giving up four runs, striking out three and walking two. Corey Dickerson (.329, 13 Rs, 5 HRs, 15 RBIs) went 1 for 4 Wednesday.
Oddsmakers have deemed this game an even matchup and the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. The Padres have an SU record of 9-8 against teams in their division. The Padres have one of the most prolific offenses in the entire NL, averaging 4.6 runs per game. The Padres rank third in the NL in hits with 9.0 per game. San Diego’s pitching staff has fallen apart in the past 10 games. Its average runs allowed per game rose to 6.1 during that span, compared to its 4.7 season average.
Against teams in their division, the Rockies are 7-8 SU. When it comes to scoring, the Rockies haven’t performed as well against teams from the NL West. During those games, they averaged three runs per game, below their 4.2 runs per game season average. The top hitting team in the NL are the Rockies, who average 9.8 hits per game. Colorado’s pitching staff has allowed an average of 6.7 runs per game during the last 10 games, higher than their season average of 5.0.
The Padres will take on a right-hander (Butler) in this game and have a 7-10 record against right-handed starting pitchers this season. The right-handed Kennedy will take the mound against the Rockies, who have a 10-9 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – SD
Notes
For the fifth time this season, the Padres registered at least two errors in a game.
When the Rockies play into extra innings, they have a 1-2 record. The Padres are 0-2 when their games exceed nine innings.
Having scored one run in their last game, the Rockies are going to have to up their game if they want to win this matchup. The Padres have a 3-1 record in games where opponents scored that many runs or fewer.
When they outhit their opponents, the Padres are 8-1. The Rockies have a 10-1 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 18th in runs, Colorado has earned 88 this season. San Diego ranks seventh with 105 runs.
San Diego and Colorado both rank near the bottom of the league in walks. San Diego sits at 25th with 52 this season and Colorado ranks 27th with 45.
When the Padres hit at least one home run, they are 8-6. When the Rockies hit at least one homer, they have an 8-5 record.
