“Here for the climb.”
It’s the revamped Rockies’ catchy slogan for the 2026 season. But getting swept by the Padres in San Diego illustrated just how steep the climb is. Think Mount Everest.
The Padres finished off the four-game set with a 7-2 victory on Sunday afternoon at Petco Park. A quintet of San Diego pitchers limited the Rockies to two hits and struck out 12.
The game began ominously for the Rockies. Left-hander Kyle Freeland was scratched from his start when he felt tightness in his left shoulder during his pregame bullpen session. Officially, the Rockies called the injury left posterior shoulder soreness. Manager Warren Schaeffer called Freeland’s status “day to day.”
Will Broncos ownership group gain controlling interest of Rockies? | Journal
"His shoulder just got tight, warming up," Schaeffer told reporters in San Diego. "He just couldn't go today, and it's going to be day to day. We'll look at him and see tomorrow. ... We'll have more information tomorrow."
San Diego right-hander Nick Pivetta was perfect for three innings, but he departed with right elbow stiffness. It didn't matter much on Sunday as the Padres pulled off just their second four-game sweep of Colorado in their history, the first since 1999.
Colorado was counting on Freeland to provide a lift. He was 1-1 with a solid 2.30 ERA after his first three starts. But when he couldn't go, the Rockies had to pitch a bullpen game, beginning with Jimmy Herget as the opener. Herget gave up one run in one inning, and Chase Dollander also gave up one run over one inning.
But the Padres teed off on right-hander Valente Bellozo, who gave up five runs on eight hits, including three home runs, over 4 1/3 innings. Bellozo also walked four.
Colorado's offense was a no-show, as it so often is on the road.
"We didn't swing at a lot of strikes early, and we put ourselves behind the eight-ball," Schaeffer said. "Not a lot of good counts for us (today). You can't win with (two) hits."
Catcher Brett Sullivan's two-run double in the fifth inning was the Rockies' first hit of the game and cut San Diego's lead to 3-2.
But the Padres promptly played Home Run Derby off Bellozo to put the game away. Ty France led off the Padres' fourth with a solo shot, Ramon Laureano ripped a two-run blast in the sixth, and Jackson Merrill led off the seventh with a homer.
Colorado's recent four-game winning streak has quickly faded because its offense remains anemic, especially away from Coors Field, where it's hitting .223 with a 28% strikeout rate.
The Padres' recent dominance illustrates how wide the talent gap is between the two teams. Since last season, the Padres have a 14-3 record against the Rockies, winning nine of the last 10. Since Aug. 3, 2024, San Diego's vs. Colorado at Petco Park is 12-1, with the Padres outscoring the Rockies 81-29 during that stretch.
The Rockies are off on Monday before beginning a three-game series at Houston on Tuesday. That's both good news and bad. The Rockies swept three games from the Astros to end their last homestand. However, the Rockies are 1-12 in Houston since 2019.
Pitching probables
Monday: Off day
Tuesday: Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (1-1, 8.36 ERA) at Astros TBD, 6:10 p.m.
Wednesday: Rockies TBD at Astros TBD, 6:10 p.m.
Thursday: Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (1-1, 2.16) at Astros TBD, 6:10 p.m.
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: KOA NewsRadio 850 AM & 94.1 FM
