Washington @ Colorado preview
Coors Field
Last Meeting ( May 15, 2010 ) Washington 3, Colorado 4
While Colorado ace Ubaldo Jimenez is being viewed as a Cy Young Award candidate, former Rockies ace Jeff Francis will be content just to be back on the pitching mound.
Francis will come off the disabled list today for the finale of Colorado’s four-game home series with Washington and make his first start since Sept. 12, 2008. He has been out six weeks with a sore muscle under his left armpit.
The left-hander is champing at the bit to get back in a meaningful game after spending 20 months on the sideline.
Francis missed the entire 2009 season with shoulder surgery and was also hampered by shoulder problems in 2008 when he was 4-10 with a 5.01 ERA. In 2007, he was 17-9 with a 4.22 ERA and was at the top of the rotation during the Rockies’ World Series run.
If Francis comes anywhere close to his 2007 form, the Rockies could be primed to contend in the National League West. They already have Jimenez and a potential rising star in right-hander Jhoulys Chacin and will get back left-hander Jorge De La Rosa (torn tendon in finger) later this month from the disabled list.
Francis’ debut comes a day after Colorado swept a doubleheader from the Nationals.
Colorado won the first game 6-2 behind eight innings from Jimenez (7-1) and completed the sweep the second as Jason Hammel came off the disabled list (groin injury) and threw seven solid innings in a 4-3 victory.
To make room for Hammel on the roster, Colorado placed infielder Eric Young Jr. on the disabled list with a stress fracture in his right leg. He will have X-rays in two weeks.
Starting today for the Nationals will be left-hander Scott Olsen (2-1, 3.51), who also has had shoulder problems and underwent surgery last July. Olsen has been outstanding in his last four starts, going 2-0 with a 1.05 ERA.
Washington third baseman Ryan Zimmerman has feasted on the Rockies, going 8-for-13 in the series with two home runs and seven RBIs. He was 5-for-8 Saturday and is hitting 13-for-25 against the Rockies this season. Oh, he’s also 8-for-12 lifetime against Francis.
Catcher Miguel Olivo has been nearly as hot for the Rockies at Coors Field, going 21-for-50 with six homers and 15 RBIs.