Colorado Rockies (28-31) AT San Diego Padres (27-34)
June 07, 2011 at 10:05 PM EST
Opening Line:  COL -145, SDG +125
Current Line:  COL -144, SDG +125
Opening Total:  6.5
Current Total:  6

SP:  COL- Ubaldo Jímenez, SDG- Tim Stauffer

Ubaldo Jímenez has fallen off this season after an outstanding 2010.  He went the first two months this season without a victory, after recording 19 last season.  He managed to shut out the L.A. Dodgers though on Wednesday, holding them scoreless and allowing only four hits.  He also struck out 7 and didn’t walk any, the first time he has accomplished that in ten starts.

“I saw a couple things and I said, `This is what I’m going to work on,”’ Jimenez said after his performance. “I been working really hard. It’s not like it came one day.”

Run support has been a problem for the Rockies, lately, however.  They have scored 3 or fewer runs in their last eight games.  It just so happened that Monday three runs was enough, as the Padres went scoreless.

Clayton Mortenson lasted six innings and the bullpen closed out the last three in solid form.  Manager Jim Tracy was pleased, simply saying “A great pitching performance by our entire staff.”

Jímenez has, however, been effective against the Padres.  He’s won his last five starts against them with a 3.27 ERA, also striking out 46 hitters in 33 innings.  He hasn’t lost a decision to the Padres since August 30th, 2008.

The Padres have been horrible with runners in scoring position.  They stranded 11 on Monday and have dropped 8 of their last 10 home meetings against the Rockies.

Bud Black didn’t find any mystery in the loss, commenting, “We had some base runners but we just couldn’t break through…We couldn’t get that big hit.”  Getting that “big hit” is what separates the good teams from the mediocre and bad.  The Padres have to find a way to get more hitting from their lineup.

Tim Stauffer will take the mound for the Padres.  Despite having an ERA under 4.00 (3.99 for good measure!), he is 1-4 and obviously hasn’t been getting run support.  He hasn’t started against Colorado since September 23, 2009.  In that game he gave up 2 runs in 4 2/3rds innings, and did not record a decision.  He has made four relief appearances against the Rockies, and he gave up only three runs in 7 1/3rds innings.  He has only beaten the Rockies once, however, and that was about six years ago.  None the less, he and the Rockies are favored in a game that is more about ugly hitting than sensation pitching.

Some betting trends:

Colorado is 5-12 SU in their last 17 games and the total has gone UNDER in all 5 of their last 5 games.  It has also gone UNDER in all 5 of their last 5 road  games.  The Rockies are 4-12 SU in their last 16 on the road and the total has gone OVER In 6 of their last 7 against the San Diego Padres.  The Rockies are 7-1 SU in their last 8 on the road in San Diego.

The Padres are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games and they are 4-2 SU in their last 6 at home.  The total has gone UNDER in 8 of the Padres’ last 12 games at home and it has gone OVER in 6 of their last 7 against the Rockies.  The Padres are 1-7 SU in their last 8 home games against the Rockies.

This game isn’t going to be pretty.  The total is set at six and there’s a high likelihood that it goes far below that, possibly another 3-0 thriller.