SAN DIEGO (Interstat) — The San Diego Padres, having climbed back to .500 at 53-53, host the last-place Colorado Rockies (42-65) on Tuesday night at PETCO Park in the opener of a two-game series.

Left-hander Michael King (6-7) takes the mound for Colorado. King has struggled recently, surrendering four earned runs or more in three of his last four starts. He faces a Padres lineup that has won four of its last five games.

San Diego comes in with momentum after taking two of three from Miami. Third baseman Manny Machado has been a force, going 2 for 5 with a home run and three RBIs in Sunday’s 5-3 win. Over his last seven games, Machado is batting .370 (10 for 27) with four home runs and seven RBIs, providing a consistent spark for a team looking to build a winning streak.

The Padres have dominated the season series, winning six of seven meetings, including a three-game sweep at PETCO Park in April. In that series, San Diego outscored Colorado 21-9. The Rockies’ only win came April 22 in Denver, an 8-3 decision.

Colorado is coming off a lopsided 11-2 loss at Milwaukee on Sunday. Left-hander Kyle Freeland took the loss, allowing five earned runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings. Freeland has lost his last four decisions, posting a 7.26 ERA over his past five starts. The Rockies have lost nine of their last 11 games overall.

San Diego will counter with right-hander Walker Buehler, who allowed two earned runs over 5 1/3 innings in Sunday’s win at Miami, striking out seven. The over/under for the game is 7.5 runs.

Player to watch: Machado has been red-hot at the plate, and his success against left-handed pitching makes him a threat against King. For the Rockies, Freeland will need to reverse a troubling trend of early-inning struggles.

Game notes: The teams have a quick turnaround, playing again Wednesday before San Diego opens a four-game series against San Francisco. Colorado returns home Friday to host Kansas City.

Projection: The Interstat game simulator forecasts a 4-3 Padres victory, with San Diego installed as a -1.5 favorite.