Colorado Rockies vs San Diego Padres Picks and Predictions August 16th 2024

First pitch for Friday’s matchup between the Padres and Rockies is set for 8:40 PM ET from Coors Field in Denver. The Padres are 69-53 this season and they are starting Matt Waldron. The Rockies are 44-78 and will have Cal Quantrill on the mound. San Diego is currently on a three-game winning streak, and the Rockies are +150 on the money line.

Friday night’s forecast in Denver calls for clear skies and temperatures in the mid-90s. The over/under line is currently at 11.5 runs, and the Padres are favored on the money line, with their odds sitting at -178 compared to the Rockies at +150. San Diego is 3rd in the NL West, while the Rockies are 5th.

San Diego vs. Colorado Key Information

Right-hander Matt Waldron gets the start for the Padres today as he faces the Rockies on the road. He has made 24 starts this season and has a record of 7-9 with an ERA of 4.00. Waldron’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.16. In his 24 appearances, he has turned in 10 quality starts. Looking back at his most recent outing, Waldron finished with a no-decision after giving up five earned runs in 4 1/3 innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts. So far, he has been much better on the road, coming in with a record of 4-4 and an ERA of 4.41.

San Diego’s offense has been one of the best in the league this season, as they are the top hitting team in the league and are also 1st in team strikeouts. The Padres are averaging 4.8 runs per game, and they have been even better on the road, averaging 5.1 runs per contest. Overall, they are 11th in home runs and have the league’s best slugging percentage.

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Jurickson Profar has been the Padres’ top power threat this season, as his 19 homers are the most on the team. He also comes into the game with the team’s best on-base percentage. Manny Machado is 2nd on the team with 18 homers and has a batting average of .268. Over his last nine games, Jackson Merrill is batting .353 with four homers and 10 RBIs.

Colorado is sending right-hander Cal Quantrill to the mound today vs. the Padres. He has made 23 starts this year and has a record of 7-8 with an ERA of 4.56. Quantrill’s WHIP for the season is 1.41, and he has turned in 12 quality starts. In his last outing, Quantrill took the loss, going 4 1/3 innings and giving up three earned runs on two homers. Before that, he had won two straight starts. One of those wins came at home. Opponents are batting .254 off Quantrill this season.

So far this season, the Rockies offense is averaging 4.3 runs per game, which is 17th in the league. However, they have been much better at home, averaging 4.9 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting .244, which is 11th in the league, and have the 13th most home runs in the league. Heading into the game, Brendan Rodgers is on a nine-game hitting streak, and over his last six games, he is 9/25.

Currently, Brenton Doyle and Michael Toglia are tied for the team lead in homers, with 20 apiece. Toglia is batting just .218 this season, while Doyle is hitting .266. Doyle has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 8/22 in his last six games.

Today’s Padres and Rockies matchup should feature plenty of offense, as this game is projected to have the 7th most runs in today’s slate and the 7th most hits. However, our lean would be to take the under. For a money line pick, we would be leaning toward the Padres to come out on top. San Diego starter Matt Waldron is 9th among today’s starters in projected strikeouts, while Cal Quantrill is 3rd worst.

Padres Look to Extend Hot Streak Against Struggling Rockies

The San Diego Padres, quite possibly of the most sultry group in baseball since the Top pick break, will hope to proceed with their triumphant ways as they head to Denver for a three-game series against the striving Colorado Rockies. The Padres, who have won 19 of their last 23 games, have flooded to the highest point of the National League wild-card standings, attached with the similarly burning Arizona Diamondbacks.

Padres’ Second-Half Surge

At the Elite player break, the Padres were a typical group, however they’ve turned the tables in the final part of the time. Their new run of progress has set them in prime situation for a postseason compartment, as they are currently 69-53 and pursuing the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. The Padres have been playing with certainty, unfazed by the Dodgers’ predominance and their procurement of MVP leader Shohei Ohtani.

“We’re making a run for it,” Padres player Jackson Merrill said after Wednesday’s 8-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, which completed a three-game sweep. “A

t the end of the day, whatever the standings are, those are the standings.” This run seemed unlikely after San Diego traded star outfielder Juan Soto to the New York Yankees during the offseason, but the Padres have been bolstered by their pitching staff and the acquisition of Dylan Cease, who has been a significant addition to their rotation.

Michael King, who was part of the Soto trade, has been a key contributor, particularly in Tuesday night’s game where he tossed six shutout innings. “If you look at what I think of as great playoff teams — it’s teams that have pitching depth,” King said. “It’s a great bullpen and starting pitching that can win you games.” The Padres’ pitching depth has been a crucial factor in their second-half resurgence.

Rockies’ Struggles Continue

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Colorado Rockies have endured a difficult season. They have the worst record in the National League and are currently 34 games below .500. The Rockies were swept by the Diamondbacks this week, losing two late leads before being blown out in Wednesday’s game. They return home to face the Padres without their top catcher, Elias Diaz, who was placed on outright waivers on Thursday. Diaz, the MVP of the 2023 All-Star Game, had been struggling at the plate, hitting just .196 since the beginning of July.

With Diaz gone, the Rockies are expected to rely on veteran Jacob Stallings and rookie Hunter Goodman as their catching tandem. Despite their struggles, Rockies manager Bud Black remains focused on the long-term development of his players. “You always want to win. That’s the goal no matter what,” Black said.

“And you learn that by going through these games and as a group, coaches and players, talking about how to do it. For us coaches, watching players develop and grow and learning through tough situations, and how you respond and how you come back and, in a way, become unbreakable. That’s something I cherish.”

Pitching Matchup: Waldron vs. Quantrill

The Padres will send Matt Waldron (7-9, 4.00 ERA) to the mound in Friday night’s series opener. Waldron has been effective against the Rockies in his career, posting a 2-0 record with a 1.54 ERA in two starts. His last outing against Colorado came on August 4, when he allowed just one run on two hits over 5 2/3 innings to earn the victory.

The Rockies will counter with Cal Quantrill (7-8, 4.56 ERA), who is returning to the rotation after missing his last start due to forearm soreness. Quantrill has faced the Padres twice this season, including his most recent start on August 4, where he took the loss after allowing four runs. Despite the loss, Quantrill has a solid track record against San Diego, with a 2-1 record and a 2.70 ERA in four career starts against his former team.

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Key Storylines

As the series starts, the attention will be on whether the Padres can keep up with their super hot structure and proceed with their push towards the postseason. Their pitching profundity, supported by ongoing acquisitions and solid exhibitions, has been a vital figure their prosperity. For the Rockies, the test will be to refocus and figure out how to contend with one of the league’s best groups, in spite of their own battles and the new loss of their Top pick catcher.

Conclusion

The Padres head into this series with energy on their side, hoping to broaden their series of wins and set their position in the season finisher race. In the mean time, the Rockies are frantic to wake up from their downturn and discover a few up-sides as they explore a difficult season. With the two groups heading in inverse bearings, this series could additionally lay out the Padres as a serious postseason competitor while the Rockies keep on looking for replies.