Padres pregame: Some lineup continuity for second game at Coors Field

DENVER — The Padres will run out the same top eight in their batting order for the second straight day.

Padres at Rockies
Facing RHP Bradley Blalock

Tatis RF
Arraez DH
Machado 3B
Merrill CF
Bogaerts SS
Cronenworth 2B
Sheets 1B
Heyward LF
Diaz C

SP: Kolek

— Kevin Acee (@sdutKevinAcee) May 10, 2025

Largely due to injuries, the Padres have been able to do that just a couple times this season. But Saturday’s game against the Rockies (5:10 p.m. PT; Padres.TV, Channel 8, 97.3-FM) is the second with the lineup back at full strength.

The only differences between the lineups for Friday and Saturday are that Luis Arraez and Gavin Sheets swapped at first base and designated hitter, with Arraez getting a DH day, and Elias Díaz is catching instead of Martín Maldonado.

In their 13-9 victory in Friday’s series opener, the Padres scored more runs and had more hits than they had in any of their previous 36 games this season.

A victory would improve the Padres to 6-2 on this road trip, which ends Sunday. It would also make them 25-13, which would be the best start to a season in franchise history.

Here is the lineup for the Rockies, whose 6-28 record is tied for worst in MLB history 38 games into a season:

Saturday starters ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/0g8G9C5gHd

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) May 10, 2025

Saturday’s pitching matchup

Padres RHP Stephen Kolek (1-0, 0.00 ERA)

The 28-year-old struck out four over 5⅓ shutout innings in his first major league start last weekend in Pittsburgh, scattering four hits and two walks in the win. He allowed four runs in 2⅔ innings in relief last year against the Rockies, including one run on three hits and two walks in 1⅓ innings at Coors Field.

Only five current Rockies have big-league history with Kolek:

• OF Brenton Doyle (2-for-2, 2B)
• OF Jordan Beck (1-for-1, RBI)
• 3B Ryan McMahon (0-for-1)
• C Jacob Stallings (0-for-1)
• OF Sean Bouchard (BB)

Rockies RHP Bradley Blalock (0-1, 8.03 ERA)

The second-year starter has allowed three home runs in 12⅓ innings so far this season and seven homers in 43 innings (6.49 ERA) to start his career. Blalock faced the Padres twice last year, throwing a shutout inning out of the Brewers’ bullpen in June and then in August after a trade to the Rockies he limited the Padres to a run over 5⅔ innings. Blalock has a 7.47 ERA in 15⅔ innings in his career at Coors Field.

Here is how current Padres have fared against Blalock:

• 1B Luis Arraez (0-for-4)
• 3B Manny Machado (0-for-3, K)
• SS Xander Bogaerts (1-for-3)
• OF Jackson Merrill (1-for-3)
• UT Tyler Wade (0-for-1, BB)