cashnerAndrew Cashner nearly made history in his last start. The recent past hasn’t been nearly as good for Rockies Jorge De La Rosa.

In Wednesday night’s third of four games between the clubs at Petco Park (they’ve split the first two), Cashner will make his first start since his one-hit shutout against the Tigers the last time out. It was the second time in five starts, dating back to last season, where Cashner has flirted with a no-hitter.

The Padres are the only Major League team without a no-hitter. Cashner is well aware of this fact. “Totally aware,” he said. Cashner struck out a career-high 11 batters and became the first pitcher in the Majors to throw a shutout when he blanked the Tigers, who, of course, are far from an offensive patsy. “It’s one of my goals,” Cashner said after the game. “I definitely want a no-hitter.” The Rockies have given Cashner fits since he joined the Padres in 2012. He’s 0-3 with a 5.40 ERA in seven games, including four starts. But with the roll he’s currently on — Cashner has a 1.29 ERA in 21 innings this season — anything can happen.

“He was incredible. He had the kind of stuff where something special could happen. You saw it right from the beginning,” said Padres third baseman Chase Headley. As for De La Rosa, he has a 9.69 ERA in three starts — each of which he has lasted just 4 1/3 innings. De La Rosa has 16 strikeouts in 13 innings pitched, but he has overthrown and run into troubles that have limited his effectiveness and his ability to last in ballgames. But as is the case with many pitchers, it’s nice that De La Rosa gets to take the mound at Petco Park. In seven games, including five starts, De La Rosa has gone 3-1 with a 2.56 ERA in San Diego, and held the Padres to a .195 batting average.

The only pitchers who have pitched 25 or more innings at Petco and have lower batting averages against: Felix Hernandez (.177), Ricky Nolasco (.178), Ubaldo Jimenez (.188) and Clayton Kershaw (.194). Rockies: Blackmon likely back in the lineup. With the Padres going to a right-hander, left-handed-hitting outfielder Charlie Blackmon can be inserted back into the lineup. Blackmon started against Padres lefty Eric Stults on Monday but sat against harder-throwing lefty Robbie Erlin on Tuesday. Blackmon, who went 0-for-1 with a walk as a pinch-hitter on Tuesday, has six multihit games in 10 starts and carries a .468 batting average into the contest. It turns out this is more than just a big start for Blackmon.

 

 

Source: Colorado Rockies