San Diego Padres vs Colorado Rockies Picks and Prediction for Thursday, September 17, 2026

The San Diego Padres visit the Colorado Rockies on Thursday at Coors Field, with the opening pitch scheduled for 3:10 PM ET and televised on ESPN Unlimited and MLB.TV. San Diego is 82-69, second in the NL West and 10 games behind Los Angeles, with 11 games remaining. The Padres hold the third and final NL Wild Card spot, 2.5 games ahead of Arizona. Colorado is 56-95, fifth in the NL West and eliminated from postseason contention. The Rockies beat San Diego 9-3 in the most recent result, leaving the series tied 1-1. San Diego is 8-2 over its last 10, while Colorado is 2-8. Check out our free MLB picks.

San Diego Padres Trying to Rebound After a Rough Loss

San Diego had won four straight before Tuesday’s 9-3 loss, including three road victories over San Francisco. The Padres scored at least six runs in each of those four wins. San Diego is batting .240 with a .316 on-base percentage and .393 slugging percentage, producing 650 runs and 169 home runs. Fernando Tatis Jr. leads the club with a .288 average and .356 on-base percentage, along with 23 homers and 35 stolen bases. Jackson Merrill has 25 home runs, while Manny Machado leads San Diego with 28 homers and 83 RBI.

The Padres rank 10th in MLB with a 3.93 ERA and 1.28 WHIP, while opponents are batting .240. San Diego has allowed 167 home runs and recorded 1,219 strikeouts. The Padres are 36-40 on the road but have played well recently away from home. 

Injuries: Miguel Andujar (out), Jason Adam (out), Joe Musgrove (out), Lucas Giolito (out), Gavin Sheets (out).

Colorado Rockies Coming Off a Strong Home Win

Colorado snapped a four-game losing streak with Tuesday’s 9-3 victory over San Diego. The Rockies had allowed 33 runs during those four defeats before holding the Padres to three. Colorado is batting .255 with a .324 on-base percentage and .419 slugging percentage, producing 712 runs and 168 home runs. TJ Rumfield leads the club with a .300 average and .392 on-base percentage. Hunter Goodman has 38 home runs and 81 RBI, while Jake McCarthy is batting .297 with 15 homers and 29 stolen bases.

Pitching has been Colorado’s main weakness. The Rockies rank 30th in MLB with a 5.59 ERA and 1.53 WHIP, with opponents batting .288. Colorado has allowed 205 home runs and 876 runs while posting a 31-42 home record. Colorado has enough offense to score at Coors Field, but its pitching numbers remain a major concern.

Injuries: Willi Castro (out), Sean Sullivan (out), Kris Bryant (out), Jose Quintana (out), McCade Brown (out).

Pitching Matchup

San Diego Padres - Michael King

Michael King is 11-9 with a 3.03 ERA and 1.15 WHIP across 175 innings. The right-hander has allowed 135 hits and 20 home runs while recording 148 strikeouts against 66 walks. King has kept his hit total well below his innings pitched.

Colorado Rockies - Tanner Gordon

Tanner Gordon is 1-4 with a 5.55 ERA and 1.48 WHIP across 97.1 innings. Gordon has allowed 126 hits and 18 home runs while recording 81 strikeouts against 18 walks. His high hit total has contributed heavily to his ERA and WHIP.

San Diego Padres vs Colorado Rockies Game Pick

• San Diego Padres

San Diego is the pick with King holding a clear advantage in the starting matchup. King owns a 3.03 ERA and 1.15 WHIP, while Gordon sits at 5.55 and 1.48. The Padres also have the stronger overall pitching staff, ranking 10th in MLB compared with Colorado at 30th. San Diego had won four straight before Tuesday’s loss and still owns an 8-2 record over its last 10. The Padres have the pitching edge and enough power to answer Colorado at Coors Field.

San Diego Padres vs Colorado Rockies Over/Under Pick

• Over

Over is the pick at Coors Field with Colorado carrying a 5.59 team ERA and 1.53 WHIP. The Rockies have allowed 876 runs, while opponents are batting .288 against their pitching staff. Gordon has also surrendered 126 hits in only 97.1 innings. San Diego scored at least six runs in four straight games before Tuesday and has several hitters with home-run power. Colorado can contribute with a .255 team average, 712 runs and Goodman’s 38 homers. The scoring will help cash the total over.