Milwaukee @ Colorado preview
Coors Field
Last Meeting ( Apr 7, 2010 ) Colorado 4, Milwaukee 5
At first glance, it would seem the Colorado Rockies have only one above-average starting pitcher. Appearances can be deceiving, though.
Indeed, the Rockies are more than a one-man band.
After another stellar outing from Ubaldo Jimenez, Jason Hammel takes the hill looking to win a third straight start today when the Rockies open a three-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers at Coors Field.
The baseball universe has stopped and taken notice every time Jimenez has toed the rubber this season. The 26-year-old is off to one of the best starts in major league history.
On Thursday, Jimenez put a halt to Colorado’s two-game skid by tossing eight dominant innings in a 5-1 victory over Minnesota. The right-hander won his seventh straight start and improved to 13-1 with a 1.15 ERA.
He is just second pitcher in the last 80 years to win at least 13 of his first 14 starts.
But with Jimenez garnering all the well-deserved attention, Hammel (4-3, 4.53) has quietly put together a nice little run of his own. The right-hander has an 18-inning scoreless streak and is 4-1 with a 2.41 ERA in his last six starts.
Hammel won his second straight start by yielding a mere three hits in a season-high eight innings of a 1-0 win over Toronto on Saturday.
His scoreless-innings streak will be tested by the Brewers, who rank third in the majors with 82 home runs and seventh in runs scored (321). The Brewers outscored the Angels 20-8 in taking two of three earlier this week.
Hammel is 2-0 with a 4.91 ERA in two career starts vs. Milwaukee, but hasn’t faced the Brewers this season.
His teammates have, though. The Brewers took two of three from Colorado in a season-opening series in Milwaukee.
Brewers third baseman Casey McGehee went 5-for-11 with a homer and three RBIs in that series, and is one of several Milwaukee hitters that have fared well against Colorado.
Prince Fielder, who has four homers in his last six games, is hitting .305 with seven homers and 19 RBIs in 28 games vs. the Rockies. Ryan Braun (.354, six homers, 20 RBIs) has also handled Colorado pitching.
The trio of McGehee, Fielder and Braun will try to lead the Brewers to a seventh win in 11 games.
Milwaukee hands the ball to Manny Parra (1-4, 4.04), who is 0-1 with a 5.03 ERA in three starts since beating Minnesota on May 23. The left-hander allowed three runs and five hits in six innings of a 4-3 loss to Texas on Saturday.
In his lone career start vs. Colorado, Parra was rocked for five runs and six hits in 2 2/3 innings of a 9-2 loss on Oct. 1, 2009.
Parra may catch a break if Troy Tulowitzki is unable to go. The All-Star shortstop left Thursday’s win after being hit in the wrist by a pitch.
Tulowitzki, who had an RBI triple before departing, is hitting .456 with five homers and 13 RBIs in 15 games vs. Milwaukee.
The Rockies have won seven of the last nine meetings with the Brewers.