08/14 Padres Preview: Game 120 @ Colorado

The Padres turn to Andrew Cashner in the series finale at Coors Field as they look to close out their road trip on a high note. Cashner's last start ended in a loss, his first following three straight wins coming out of the All-Star Break. He gave up five runs (three earned) in five innings of work against the Reds. This will be his ninth time facing Colorado (fourth start) and he is still seeking his first win against them.

The Padres will need another good showing at the plate. Hopefully last night's victory was the first of many improved offensive outings for San Diego. After a six-game stretch in which they went 1-5 while scoring a combined 13 runs and batting a collective.196, the offense finally busted their slump last night, putting together seven runs on 12 hits as they fought back from a 4-1 deficit after the first inning. Will Venable extended his hitting streak to 10 games, a span in which he's hitting .386 with three doubles, two triples, and three home runs.

Colorado's Nolan Arenado is also riding a ten-game hitting streak, during which he's batting .432 with three doubles and a triple. He has helped the Rockies overcome the loss of Carlos Gonzalez to the disabled list. In the first three games in his absence, they mustered just three runs total. But in their last five contests, they've collected a combined 38 runs.

The Rockies will try to provide ample run support for Jorge De La Rosa as he looks to continue an impressive season and keep the wins coming against the Padres. In his last seven starts against San Diego, he is 3-1 thanks hugely to his offense providing an average of nearly ten runs during that stretch, making up for his 7.12 ERA. De La Rose is coming off a home win his last time out. He gave up just one run despite allowing eight hits and issuing three walks in five innings of work. Most of the damage (six hits and two walks) occured in the first inning, but De La Rosa settled down after that and led Colorado to a victory over the visiting Pittsburgh. The southpaw hasn't been too sharp lately, allowing 33 baserunners in just 14 innings over his last three starts, and he's gone nine straight outings without pitching past the sixth inning. But he's been solid at home, going four consecutive starts without allowing more than one run.

Tune in at 12:10 this afternoon to see who takes the rubber game and the series.