Pittsburgh @ Colorado preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 28, 2010 ) Pittsburgh 6, Colorado 2

The Pittsburgh Pirates have won consecutive road games for the first time in more than two months. Now they have the chance to sweep a road series for the first time this season.

Pittsburgh goes for its third straight victory Thursday when it visits the Colorado Rockies in the finale of their three-game set.

On Wednesday, Garrett Jones recorded his third career multi-homer game, belting a pair of solo shots, and Andrew McCutchen went 3-for-4 and scored a run as the Pirates posted a 6-2 victory. Six relievers combined to allow just one run over 8 1/3 innings after starter Ross Ohlendorf was hit in the head by Troy Tulowitzki's line drive in the opening frame and left the game after recording just two outs.

Ohlendorf was taken to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with a contusion and an abrasion, but returned to Coors Field in time to see Pittsburgh put the finishing touches on its first road winning streak since it won consecutive games against the Cubs in Chicago on May 14-15.

Jones, who finished 4-for-4 with three RBIs, hit his first homer of the night in the second inning. It extended the Pirates' run of consecutive games with a home run to four, matching their season high set from May 29-June 1.

Carlos Gonzalez homered and Seth Smith collected three hits for the Rockies, whose losing streak reached eight games. Colorado had not dropped eight in a row since June 22-30, 2008.

The Rockies, who have lost 12 of their last 14, send their ace to the mound hoping to halt their slide. But Ubaldo Jimenez (15-2) has run into a string of bad results himself recently.

After allowing three runs or fewer in each of his first 14 starts this season, Jimenez has surrendered four earned runs or more in five of his last six outings, posting a 7.64 ERA over that stretch. In four of those games, the 26-year old has been reached for six runs or more.

Jimenez faced 15 batters and retired just six in a 10-2 loss at Philadelphia on Saturday. The right-hander yielded six runs, three hits and six walks while failing to record an out in the third inning before being lifted.

One thing in Jimenez's favor Thursday is Coors Field, where he has gone 6-0 with a 3.52 ERA in eight starts this year. In his last outing here, he limited St. Louis to one run and three hits over eight innings en route to a 4-2 victory.

Jimenez is 2-0 with a 1.61 ERA in four career starts against Pittsburgh.

Hoping to give the Pirates their first road sweep of 2010 is Paul Maholm (6-8), who also has struggled of late.

Maholm is 2-4 with a 5.09 ERA over his last seven starts. The 28-year old left-hander lasted six innings against San Diego on Friday, allowing four runs and nine hits in a 5-3 loss.

Maholm has pitched well on the road this year, going 2-2 with a 3.30 ERA in 10 outings. He has not had much success against Colorado over his career, however, posting a 1-4 record and 5.20 in six starts, with his lone win coming in August 2007.

Several Rockies have made things difficult for Maholm, including Tulowitzki, who is 6-for-11 (.545) with a solo home run. Clint Barmes has gone 9-for-15 (.600) with two homers and five RBIs, while Chris Iannetta has collected three hits in six at-bats, homered and driven in three runs.