GRAY AIMS TO LIMIT MISTAKES WHILE LOOKING FOR FIRST WIN
san diego» Rockies rookie right-hander Jon Gray is eager for his first major-league victory, but he isn’t anxious about it.
Gray makes his seventh career start Tuesday night against the San Diego Padres in search of that first win. He had a shot at it three weeks ago against the Padres. He left the game in the fifth inning at Coors Field with a 3-1 lead, but the Padres came back for a 7-5 win.
Gray knows wins will come. He seems to be taking things in stride since his call-up five weeks ago. Gray said his promotion from Triple-A Albuquerque to the major leagues hasn’t come with any major surprises.
“It’s been all about getting my feet wet and getting experience,” said Gray, a first-round pick two years ago out of the University of Oklahoma. “That’s really what I’m looking at. I want to be able to pick up stuff real quick from start to start and make adjustments.”
Gray said the most important thing he has learned these past few weeks is “just limiting your mistakes. If you limit your mistakes, they can’t take advantage of you so much. That’s my main focus.”
Hundley update.
Nick Hundley missed the series opener, although manager Walt Weiss hopes the catcher is ready to return for Tuesday’s game.
Hundley left Sunday’s game against San Francisco in the sixth inning with a stiff neck, an ailment that surfaced two innings earlier during an at-bat.
“I knew he was going to be down today,” Weiss said before Monday’s game. “He’s pretty sore. … I don’t think it’s anything long term or anything serious.”
Day off for Cargo, Reyes.
Outfielder Carlos Gonzalez and shortstop Jose Reyes also were out of the starting lineup against the Padres.
“I planned this day for them to be down,” Weiss said. “No issues there. They’ll be back out there (Tuesday).”
Gonzalez was a late substitution, entering in the eighth inning to play right field.
Makeup game.
The series has been extended to four games, with Thursday’s afternoon game added to make up the July 19 game that was rained out in San Diego. That was just the second rainout in Petco Park’s 11-year history. The other one was in 2006.