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SD@HOU: Wells escapes bases-loaded jam in the second

The Rockies will introduce a new test subject to their starting pitching experiment on Sunday when 23-year-old Drew Pomeranz makes his sixth Major League start of the season in the rubber match with the Padres at Coors Field.

Pomeranz will be called up prior to Sunday's game, though the demotion of Edwar Cabrera to Triple-A in the wake of a poor start earlier this week was the move that opened a spot for Pomeranz into Colorado's four-man rotation.

Much has been said about the Rockies' unorthodox starting rotation, but one word not used to describe it is "stable." Cabrera and Alex White are the two variables most recently removed from the Colorado equation.

Perhaps fittingly, Pomeranz's last Major League outing came May 7 in a loss to Sunday's opponent, the Padres. The lefty yielded three runs on five hits in three innings at Petco Park.

But if Colorado's league-leading offense is any indication, Coors Field is a much more hostile environment than pitcher-friendly Petco Park. Pomeranz might, then, find himself facing a very different challenge than the one he faced in early May when he takes the hill on Sunday.

And while Pomeranz was selected in the First-Year Player Draft last year -- rocketing his way through the Indians' system before being traded in the Ubaldo Jimenez deal last summer -- his opponent in the series finale will have taken a much more circuitous route to the Coors Field mound.

Kip Wells, 35, had not pitched in the big leagues since 2009 before becoming the 13th San Diego starting pitcher this season on Tuesday in Houston. The veteran righty has played for nine teams since his Major League debut in '99, including a short stint with Colorado in '08.

Nevertheless, had it not been for a fifth-inning throwing error that led to three unearned runs, Wells could be heading into Sunday's start coming off a win, rather than his 100th career loss.

Padres: Grandal makes grand entrance
On Saturday morning, the Padres called up catching prospect Yasmani Grandal from Triple-A Tuscon to trade places with struggling backstop Nick Hundley. By Saturday evening, Grandal had two career hits, both homers, one from each side of the plate.

It was quite the entrance for the 23-year-old, who flew out in his only other Major League at-bat during a brief callup in early June. Saturday marked Grandal's first big league start.

Rockies: Chatwood could be odd man out
With the addition of Pomeranz, reliever Tyler Chatwood's spot on the roster could be in jeopardy. Chatwood was called up on Friday, but struggled in an appearance against the Padres, including yielding a home run to the first batter he faced, Carlos Quentin. All told, the right-handed gave up two runs on five hits in an inning-plus.

Chatwood began the season in the bullpen, but was sent down to stretch out to starter length. He has an ERA of 7.00 in five major league appearances in 2012, and is 0-2 with a 5.79 ERA in nine starts with Colorado Springs.

Worth noting
• With Grandal making his first career start and Edinson Volquez on the hill Saturday, the Padres started three of the four players obtained in the Mat Latos trade with the Reds this offseason. The third was first baseman Yonder Alonso, who is putting together a solid rookie campaign with a .259 average, two homers, and 18 RBIs.

• The Padres are 21-1 when leading after seven innings.

• With a hit on Saturday, Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez extended his hitting streak to nine games.

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