The set-up: The Colorado Rockies' chances of catching the Arizona Diamondbacks are becoming slimmer and slimmer (D'backs' magic number to clinch the No. 1 wild card spot is down to three!) and the much bigger concern for the Rockies now is, holding onto the No. 2 wild card spot. Colorado's bats have gone silent and the team's hold on the second National League wild-card spot is clearly in jeopardy. The Rockies have been blanked in back-to-back games and have dropped four in a row as both Milwaukee and St. Louis threaten to overtake them. Colorado's 3-0 loss last night in San Diego leaves it one game ahead of the Brewers and 1 1/2 in front of the Cardinals with nine remaining. This four-game series continues tonight at Petco Park. About the only thing San Diego has to celebrate these days is that the team has won four of its last five games and surpassed last year's victory total (68) with Thursday's win. The Padres were 68-94 in 2016 (23 games back of the division-winning Dodgers) but with nine games left in tehe 2017 season, sit at 69-94, although they are 28 games back of the Dodgers.

The pitching matchup: Jon Gray (8-4 & 3.75 ERA) takes the mound for Colorado and Jordan Lyles (1-3 & 7.35 ERA) for San Diego. Gray struck out seven and gave up two hits in five scoreless innings against San Diego in his last start before a 90-minute rain delay knocked him out of the contest. The effort continued his pattern of success against the Padres, as he owns a 2.50 in nine career starts against them, including a franchise-record 16-strikeout performance in a four-hit shutout back on Sept. 17, 2016. Gray made three early April appearances but then went on the DL and didn't return until June 30. He's been a solid starter since and heads into this game having allowed three ERs or less in 11 straight starts. Lyles began the year with the Rockies, making 33 relief appearances (0-2 with a 6.94 ERA), before being released. He's made three starts for the Padres, going 1-1 with an 8.78 ERA (SD is 2-1). That includes an outing in which his former teammates torched him for seven runs and eight hits over four innings this past Saturday in Colorado's 16-0 win over San Diego. Lyles is 0-2 with a 7.27 ERA in five career appearances (three starts / teams are 0-3) against Colorado.

The pick. If Lyles being on the mound can't 'wake up' the Colorado bats, then the Rockies are in deep S*#&T! As for Gray, while he's a modest 3-2 in his career vs. San Diego in nine starts (team is only 3-6), he does own a very solid 2.50 ERA in those starts. Make Colorado an 8* play.