Colorado Rockies game no. 89 thread: Joe Musgrove vs. Chad Kuhl

Can Rockies take first 2 home series against San Diego of 2022?

The Rockies (39-49) are 10 games under .500. They are 18 games behind the NL West first-place Dodgers, which ties them with Arizona for fourth place.

However, when it comes to playing the Padres, the Rockies are 6-3 this season, including a 4-1 record at Coors Field. The Rockies swept a three-game series against San Diego at Coors Field in mid-June and have a 1-1 split with the Padres right now. With a win today, not only would the Rockies, who are ranked No. 16 in MLB in total payroll at about $138.2 million, improve to 7-3, but have won both home series against San Diego, who is ranked No. 5 at $218.2 million.

Chad Kuhl (6-5, 4.02 ERA) will be on the mound for the Rockies. In 16 starts this season, Kuhl has thrown seven quality starts, but his only start against the Padres this season was not one of those games. On June 10, he only went 4 ¹⁄₃ innings after giving up five runs on eight hits with five walks and only one strikeout. He’s also struggled in two starts in July since throwing a complete-game shutout on June 27, combining for an 8.10 ERA in 10 innings when he gave up nine runs on 13 hits in two games against Arizona.

It won’t be easy for the Rockies to get the series win as they will be going against RHP Joe Musgrove, one of two Padre All-Stars along with Manny Machado. Musgrove is 8-2 in 15 starts this season. He’s posted a 2.09 ERA and 0.93 WHIP in 99 innings with 98 strikeouts. He got the best of Colorado in his June 10 matchup against Kuhl when he threw six scoreless innings, giving up only four hits (a double to José Iglesias and singles to Charlie Blackmon, Garrett Hampson, and C.J. Cron), walking two (Ryan McMahon twice), and striking out eight (Blackmon twice and Connor Joe, Cron, Yonathan Daza, Randal Grichuk, McMahon, and Elias Díaz once each).

Cron is still dealing with swelling in his wrist that prohibits a full swing and will not be in the lineup on Wednesday night. The Denver Post’s Patrick Saunders tweeted that Alex Colomé is suffering from “a slight strain in top of his right hamstring” and also won’t be in the lineup either.

First Pitch: 6:40 p.m. MDT

TV: AT&T Sports Net Rocky Mountain; MLB.tv

Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM; KNRV 1150 (Spanish)

Lineups: