Rockies at Padres
Colorado Rockies rookie Noel Cuevas belted his first career home run on Monday, hours after learning that he would be starting at second base for injured starter DJ LeMahieu. Cuevas figures to be in the lineup again Tuesday as the Rockies conclude their brief two-game set against the host San Diego Padres.
The 26-year-old Cuevas batted second in Monday’s 6-4 victory while filling in for LeMahieu, who was hitting .279 with five home runs and 13 RBIs before landing on the disabled list with a sprained left thumb that could require surgery. “We're concerned about it,'” manager Bud Black told reporters. “We’re trying to be optimistic on this one, but we will have to wait and see.” The Rockies opened their nine-game road trip with three home runs among their 11 hits against San Diego, which lost for the fifth time in its last eight games despite a strong showing from shortstop Freddy Galvis, who went 3-for-4 and came within a homer of hitting for the cycle. The Padres purchased the contract of outfielder Franmil Reyes from Triple-A El Paso prior to the game and promptly inserted him into the starting lineup, where he went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts from the sixth spot in the order.
TV: 3:40 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Colorado), FS San Diego
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH German Marquez (2-4, 5.35 ERA) vs. Padres RH Jordan Lyles (0-1, 3.28)
Marquez lost for the third time in his last four starts last Thursday against Milwaukee, allowing five runs on 12 hits across 4 2/3 innings. The 23-year-old has recorded a 10.34 ERA in four home starts compared to a 1.96 ERA in four outings away from Coors Field. Marquez is 2-1 with a 5.48 ERA in six career games (four starts) against San Diego, including 1-1 with an 8.03 ERA in three career games (two starts) at Petco Park.
Lyles moved into the rotation last Thursday in place of struggling Bryan Mitchell and earned another start after limiting St. Louis to two runs (one earned) over five frames. The 27-year-old, who played for Colorado from 2014-17 before being released last August, began the season by holding opponents scoreless in 10 of his 13 relief appearances. Carlos Gonzalez is 7-for-13 with two home runs against Lyles, who owns an 0-3 record and 6.07 ERA in 10 career games (four starts) against his former team.
WALK-OFFS
1. Padres 3B Christian Villanueva snapped an 0-for-37 slump with a fourth-inning single on Monday.
2. The Rockies recalled INF Pat Valaika from Triple-A Albuquerque to take LeMahieu’s place on the roster.
3. San Diego optioned 2B Carlos Asuaje to Triple-A El Paso.