The offense fell flat for the Colorado Rockies as Mason Adams struggled on the mound,leading to a 9-3 victory for the San Diego Padres. The Rockies will now look to settle for a series split in their final match-up against the Padres in 2026.
Tanner Gordon (1-4, 5.55 ERA) takes the ball for the Rockies, still trying to figure out a role with the Rockies. Since rejoining the rotation on August 21, Gordon has had two brilliant starts surrounded by three not-so-great starts. In his last two outings,
he has allowed nine runs on 18 hits in 8.2 innings of work. Specifically, he allowed four runs on 10 hits in four innings against the Detroit Tigers. A familiar issue is that Gordon may throw a lot of strikes, but he gives up a lot of contact and that gets him into trouble. He doesn’t walk many and can get a modest number of strikeouts, but if he isn’t inducing the kind of contact that leads to groundball outs, things can get away from him in a hurry.
This will be Gordon’s first appearance against the Padres this season. He has made three previous starts in his career, going 1-1 with a 4.60 ERA. He made two starts in 2025, allowing seven runs on eight hits over 9.2 innings of work. He had 14 strikeouts against two walks, but was stung by four home runs. The Padres have a knack for hitting the ball hard, especially at Coors Field, so that will be something that Gordon has to be mindful of.
Michael King (11-9, 3.03 ERA) makes the start for the Padres. It’s been business as usual for King since his transition into a full-time starter when joining the Padres in 2024. In 175 innings of work, he has 148 strikeouts against 66 walks while opponents are hitting just .215 against him. King has been an effective workhorse all season, working at least six innings in all but nine of his 30 starts. He’s been on a hot streak lately, allowing just three runs over his last four starts, all of which came in seven innings. King’s command can get shaky at times, but he combats that with a strong strikeout ability and by getting weak contact.
He last faced the Rockies on July 28, allowing four runs on six hits over six innings. In five career appearances against Colorado, King has a 5.54 ERA over 26 innings of work. He has given up five home runs while striking out 30 against eight walks. A free-swinging Rockies offense will need to make him work and find a way to square up the ball like they did Tuesday night.
First Pitch: 1:10 pm MDT
TV: Rockies TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM; KNRV 1150 (Spanish)
Padres SB Nation Site: Gaslamp Ball
Lineups:
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