Padres on deck: One last series with 106-loss Rockies

Colorado Rockies at San Diego Padres

• Game 1: 6:40 p.m. Thursday (Padres.TV)
• Game 2: 6:40 p.m. Friday (Padres.TV)
• Game 3: 5:40 p.m. Saturday (Padres.TV)
• Game 4: 1:10 p.m. Sunday (Padres.TV)

In the standings

Colorado Rockies (40-106, 5th in NL West)

One of two teams officially eliminated, the Rockies were swept in a three-game set at Dodger Stadium and have lost five in a row dating back to the final two games over the weekend against the Padres at Coors Field. The Padres won seven of nine so far to clinch the season series, outscoring the Rockies 71-30.

San Diego Padres (79-67, 2nd in NL West)

The Padres are three games behind the Dodgers in the division after losing two straight to the Reds and they are four games behind the Cubs in the race for the NL’s top wild-card spot. They’ve lost seven of 10, but their playoff odds remain at 97.7%, according to ESPN, because there’s just 16 games left in the season and they’ve got a three-game lead on the sliding Mets, the current No. 3 wild-card team and a two game leads on the Giants and Reds, the teams closest to challenging for the Mets’ spot.

Pitching matchups

Thursday

Rockies RHP McCade Brown (0-3, 12.54 ERA)   |   He’s making a second consecutive start against the Padres after allowing six runs on five hits and a walk in 1⅔ innings on Saturday at Coors Field. Brown is four starts into his career and has yet to pitch into the fifth inning. He has a 6-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio over his first 9⅓ innings in the majors.

Padres RHP Randy Vásquez (4-6, 3.91 ERA)   |   He returned to the rotation on Saturday at Coors Field, allowing three runs — two earned — in six innings in a win against these same Rockies. He struck out three and did not walk or hit a batter. Vásquez is 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA, eight strikeouts and one walk in his two starts against the Rockies, both at Coors Field.

Friday

Rockies RHP Tanner Gordon (5-6, 6.60 ERA)   |   He’s also making a consecutive start against the Padres after allowing six runs on six hits, including three homers, on Sunday at Coors Field. And yet Gordon has a 5.40 ERA in eight home starts and a 9.33 ERA in four road starts this year. Gordon’s only other start against the Padres was six innings of one-run ball last year at Petco Park.

Padres RHP Dylan Cease (7-11, 4.71 ERA)   |   He beat the Rockies in his last start at Coors Field, allowing one run on four hits and two walks while striking out five over five-plus innings. Cease has now gone two straight starts without allowing a homer. He has allowed 20 in 151 innings this year. Cease is 3-2 with a 4.09 ERA in 33 innings in his career against the Rockies.

Saturday

Rockies TBA   |   Rockies interim manager Warren Schaeffer has not announced starters yet for the final two games of the series.

Padres RHP Yu Darvish (3-5, 5.65 ERA)   |   The 39-year-old veteran has a 4.08 ERA over seven starts since the seven shutout innings he threw at the Mets on July 30. Darvish has allowed nine homers over those 33⅔ innings after allowing just two over his first five starts (23⅔ IP). Darvish has a 5.48 ERA in 12 career starts against the Rockies, but he has not faced them since beating them in a start in 2023 (5⅓ IP, 4 ER).

Sunday

Rockies TBA

Padres RHP Michael King (4-2, 2.87 ERA)   |   He threw 63 pitches in his first start off the injured list on Tuesday, allowing two runs on three hits, including two solo homers. King struck out two and walked one. His only start this year against the Rockies was two-hit shutout in April in which he struck out eight and walked one. Including Sunday, King is in line to make three starts before the end of the regular season.

Team leaders

• OPS: Rockies—C Hunter Goodman (.857), OF Mickey Moniak (.793), OF Jordan Beck (.765); Padres—OF Ramón Laureano (.893), 1B Ryan O’Hearn (.804), OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (.801)
• HRs: Rockies—Goodman (30), Moniak (19), Beck (15); Padres—3B Manny Machado (23), Laureano (23), OF Tatis (21)
• RBIs: Rockies—Goodman (87), Moniak (57), OF Brenton Doyle (55); Padres—Machado (84), Laureano (71), OF Gavin Sheets (64).
• Steals: Rockies—OF Tyler Freeman (17), Doyle (16), Beck (16); Padres—Tatis (29), SS Xander Bogaerts (20), Machado (13).
• Saves: Rockies—RHP Seth Halvorsen (11-for-14, 4.99 ERA), RHP Victor Vodnik (7-for-11, 3.05 ERA), RHP Zach Agnos (4-for-4, 6.98 ERA); Padres—RHP Robert Suarez (36-for-41, 3.16 ERA), RHP Mason Miller (21-for-25, 3.02 ERA).
• Holds: Rockies—RHP Juan Mejia (8, 3.86 ERA), Vodnik (7), RHP Jimmy Herget (5, 2.50 ERA); Padres—RHP Jason Adam (29, 1.93 ERA), RHP Jeremiah Estrada (27, 3.43 ERA), LHP Adrián Morejón (18, 1.90 ERA)

Training room

Colorado: RHP Chase Dollander exited Monday’s start with a left patella strain. He is day-to-day. LHP Luis Peralta (hip) is also day-to-day, as is SS Ryan Ritter (ankle), while 1B Warming Bernabel is on the concussion list after a collision with part of a gate at Dodger Stadium. DH Kris Bryant (back), RHP Seth Halvorsen (flexor) and RHP Zach Agnos (flexor) do not have timetables.

San Diego: SS Jose Iglesias is day-to-day after taking a pitch off his left hand on Tuesday, although he entered as a pinch-runner on Wednesday. SS Xander Bogaerts (foot) has begun a baseball progression in hopes of making it back this season. LHP Nestor Cortes hit the injured list last week with biceps tendonitis, while RHP Jason Adam (quad) had season-ending surgery last week. RHP Joe Musgrove (Tommy John surgery) is continuing to throw bullpens.