The Colorado Rockies have answered an eight-game slide with back-to-back wins, the most recent a 5-2 victory here at San Diego yesterday. The Padres are trending in the opposite direction coming off a pair of losses.

Colorado right-hander Jon Gray (0-3, 4.19 ERA) will take the mound eager to get his first W of the season. Gray was a hard-luck loser last time out though when he held the Giants to one run through 6 2/3 innings of a 1-0 defeat at AT&T Park, and I expect another stellar outing from him here.

Gray is 8-3 with a 2.69 ERA in 15 career starts the Padres and he has won each of his past three starts in San Diego behind a 1.42 ERA. "I've always liked pitching in San Diego," Gray said last Sept. 1 after holding the Padres to two runs on seven hits and a walk over six innings. "I like the mound."

The Padres turn to rookie left-hander Nick Margevicius (1-1, 1.69 ERA) who has been outstanding through his first three starts in the big leagues, allowing just three runs on nine hits and a walk with 12 strikeouts in 16 innings of work.

Margevicius will no doubt find it hard to out-duel Gray here though, and I like the price we get on the visitors at Petco Park Monday night.

8* play on Colorado Rockies.