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COL@HOU: Guthrie earns the win in his Rockies' debut

Coming off a high of winning their first series of the season against the D-backs over the weekend, the Rockies will stay home for a three-game set against the Padres, which begins Monday at Coors Field.

"You win a series. If we keep winning series, we're going to be all right. It's our first one," right fielder Michael Cuddyer said. "San Diego's going to come in and hopefully we can win that one too."

Jeremy Guthrie will be on the hill for Colorado, making his third start of the season. In his home debut Wednesday, the right-hander didn't last long, tossing only 3 1/3 innings, while giving up six runs on nine hits. However, behind a 22-hit outburst from the Rockies offense, including 17 runs, Guthrie managed to get the no-decision.

Manager Jim Tracy specifically noticed that Guthrie had trouble putting hitters away with two strikes.

Guthrie will try and correct that against a Padres team hoping to get back on track after being swept by the Dodgers in a three-game series in Los Angeles.

The Padres, off to a 2-8 start, will have Cory Luebke on the mound. The left-hander struggled in his last start against the D-backs, walking four in a 43-pitch first inning. However, he was able to settle down after that, striking out five and allowing only four hits.

The lefty, who needed only 40 pitches to get through the next four innings, went 5 1/3 innings and gave up one run for the no-decision.

He'll try and use more changeups in his start Monday at the request of catcher Nick Hundley, who's seen the pitch progress in Luebke's last two starts.

"I think Hundley put it down in counts where we really haven't used it before," Luebke said about his last start. "Behind in the count, we doubled up on it a few times. I was glad that he put it down."

Padres: Kotsay to be activated Monday
San Diego will likely activate outfielder Mark Kotsay from the 15-day disabled list before Monday's game against the Rockies.

Kotsay started the season on the DL with a strained right calf, an injury he sustained at the end of Spring Training.

The Padres are currently carrying 13 pitchers. However, that number will likely get cut down when Kotsay returns, with the team predicted to option a pitcher to Triple-A Tucson and get back to a 12-man staff and full bench.

Rockies: Helton gets day off after fast start
Even with a .444 average in the Rockies series against the D-backs, with a double, home run and five RBIs, Todd Helton was kept out of Sunday's finale by manager Jim Tracy.

"He looks really, really good right now," Tracy said. "He looks even better than he looked like last year when [he hit .302] at this stage in his career. I hadn't seen his lower half look as strong as I had seen it during the course of Spring Training this year. But I think there is hopefully a much greater understanding as to how beneficial it is to not push the envelope."

Helton had game-winning RBIs in the Rockies' last at-bats in the first two games against Arizona Friday and Saturday.

Worth Noting
• Michael Cuddyer has hit safely in seven of his first nine games with Colorado and leads the club in hits (13), doubles (5) and extra base hits (7) so far this season.

• After Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Dodgers, San Diego has lost nine consecutive games at Dodger Stadium, getting its last win there May 1, 2011.

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