The San Diego Padres' offense has been as good as advertised. Little suggests it will cool off with a matchup against the struggling Kyle Kendrick.
The Padres look to win their fourth in a row and send the Colorado Rockies to their sixth straight loss Wednesday night at Coors Field.
San Diego (10-5) has won nine of 11 and the offense has been instrumental to its success in the last 10 games. Since April 11, the Padres lead the majors with 6.5 runs per game, a .312 batting average and .497 slugging percentage.
Leadoff hitter Wil Myers, one of several upgrades to San Diego's offense, had three hits while fellow newcomer Derek Norris had a tiebreaking, two-run double in the eighth inning in Tuesday's 7-6 win. After winning Monday's opener 14-3, the Padres pounded out 13 hits and plated four runs in the eighth for a sixth comeback win.
"It shows the character of our team that no teams can take us lightly," Matt Kemp said. "We're always going to stay in it and try to win games."
Norris had his second straight two-double game and is 8 for 15 during a four-game hitting streak. With a .321 average, Norris is one of six San Diego regulars batting at least .313.
Off to their best start since the 1998 World Series team, the Padres look to keep rolling against Kendrick (1-2, 7.56 ERA), who has been tagged for 14 runs while allowing 15 hits and nine walks over 9 2-3 innings in losing his last two starts. In Friday's 7-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, he permitted six runs in 4 2-3 innings.
Kendrick, who has a 6.53 ERA in seven career starts at Coors Field, has not lost three straight starts since June 2012.
He had a 3.27 ERA in splitting two starts against the Padres last season, but a couple of new faces to their lineup could give him trouble.
Justin Upton is batting .348 with two homers and a double in 23 at-bats against Kendrick, while Kemp is 6 for 15.
San Diego counters with James Shields (2-0, 2.84), who gave up four runs in Friday's 5-4 win over the Chicago Cubs. The veteran right-hander, who historically gets off to strong starts with a 2.90 April ERA - his best for any month - struck out nine to increase his total to 24 in 19 innings.
Since the start of last season, Shields is 5-0 with a 1.84 ERA in seven games against the NL West and recorded a 2.08 ERA in winning both of his outings against the Rockies (7-7). Nolan Arenado, however, went 4 for 5 with a homer in their matchups.
Arenado, batting .311 with a team-high three homers, has sat out the last two games with a sore left wrist. He took swings off the tee Tuesday and said it was feeling better.
Corey Dickerson, tied with Arenado for the team lead with 10 RBIs, was out of the starting lineup Tuesday due to left plantar fasciitis that has bothered him since spring training before coming in to pinch-hit in the ninth. He is hitless in six career at-bats against Shields.
Pitching has been mostly to blame for Colorado's five-game losing streak following a 7-2 start. The team has a 7.93 ERA during its slide.
"We're playing good teams but we haven't played well," said former Padre Nick Hundley, who homered and tripled Tuesday. "The first 10 games of the season we were making a lot of plays and playing good defense. We'll get back to that."
