Padres start inviting stretch with opener vs. Rockies

There are three contenders in the National League West: the division-leading San Francisco Giants, second-place Los Angeles Dodgers and third-place San Diego Padres.

And there are two also-rans: the fourth-place Colorado Rockies and last-place Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Padres will try to makeup ground on the Giants and Dodgers when they play host to the Rockies in a four-game series that starts Thursday night.

While th