Wed Apr 16 11:21:13 2008

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Padres' Germano hopes for some help against Rockies

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(Sports Network) - Justin Germano has been just about unreachable this year. San Diego's fifth starter will try to continue his hot beginning to the season tonight, when the Padres host the Colorado Rockies for the middle portion of a three-game series at Petco Park.

Germano has yet to record a decision this year, but can hardly be blamed for that. In two starts, he has given up just one unearned run and seven hits in 13 innings. However, the right-hander has gotten just one run of support this year.

The 25-year-old gave up that lone unearned run on April 4 versus the Dodgers and left with the game tied 1-1. San Diego's bullpen allowed six runs in relief, though. Germano then hurled seven shutout innings against the Giants on April 9, a 1-0 San Diego setback.

Germano has had no such luck against Colorado in his career, as he is 0-3 with an 8.34 earned run average in six games (5 starts) against the Rockies. Germano has given up 26 runs (21 earned) in just 22 2/3 innings over that stretch.

Given his current run of luck, Germano may need an outing like Randy Wolf's most recent one to post a victory. Wolf carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning to help guide the Padres to a 6-0 win over the Rockies on Tuesday.

Wolf (1-0) worked quickly while tearing through the lineup of the defending National League champions, fanning nine and walking four. He threw 112 pitches, though, which forced Padres skipper Bud Black to call on his bullpen.

Kevin Cameron completed the gem with two shutout innings, yielding just one more hit the rest of the way in San Diego's first meeting with Colorado since last October's one-game playoff at Petco Park that decided the NL wild card. The Rockies won that game, 9-8, to reach the postseason and ultimately the World Series.

Like Germano's outings, San Diego was giving Wolf no support until the fifth inning, when his teammates combined to put six runs on the board. Brian Giles, Kevin Kouzmanoff and Jim Edmonds each contributed two-run doubles as the Padres won for the third time in four games.

Ubaldo Jimenez (1-2) was charged with six runs -- just two earned -- on six hits through 4 2/3 innings of work for the Rockies. He walked three and struck out five as Colorado lost for the third time in four contests. Brad Hawpe singled to end Wolf's no-hit bid.

Matt Holliday, who scored the winning run in the 13th inning of last October's playoff with San Diego, had an eight-game hitting streak broken after going 0- for-4 with three strikeouts.

Rockies starter Mark Redman will try to win his first game in his hometown tonight. Redman was born in San Diego and graduated from Escondido High School, but is 0-1 with a 6.23 ERA in four games (3 starts) against the Padres.

The left-hander is coming off his first victory of the season last time out. After losing to Arizona on April 4, Redman came back and held the Braves to three runs (2 earned) on seven hits over five innings of a 12-6 victory on April 9.

Colorado won 11 of its 19 matchups with San Diego last year, including five of nine at Petco Park.