Padres Lose Another Opening Day

Offense, Defense Sputter In Colorado

Facing a team during its home-opener is not easy. You're dealing with a squad that's all ramped up in front of a sold-out crowd full of hopeless romantics that still believe their team can have a magical season.

The Padres have gone through that twice this week. Neither one has gone well for the visitors.

They lost to the Mets 11-2 on Monday, and were only marginally better in Colorado against the Rockies on Friday. This time they managed to have a lead, at least.

Jesus Guzman brought home Everth Cabrera with a bloop single in the first inning to put the Padres up 1-0. But, the vig on one run at Coors Field is three runs.

Jason Marquis started for the Padres because of his fantastic career record in Denver. The only All-Star appearance of his 13-year career came the one season he pitched for the Rockies.

Marquis went 6 innings. That's 18 outs. 14 of them came by ground ball, the way you must pitch to have success in Colorado. But, one of those ground balls turned out to be his undoing.

In the 3rd inning, Marquis got Josh Rutledge to hit a weak grounder to Cabrera at short, but Everth couldn't find the handle. An unearned run scored, and was followed by two more unearned runs when Carlos Gonzalez worked a walk and Troy Tulowitzki pounded a hanging slider for a 2-run double.

Marquis allowed five runs, but only two of them were earned, to take the loss.

Five runs at Coors Field is not much, but the San Diego offense couldn't quite figure out Jeff Francis. The Rockies lefty tossed six innings and only allowed one run, striking out five (including rookie Jedd Gyorko three times).

On Saturday Tyson Ross makes his Padres debut against former Padre Jon Garland.

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