Colorado @ Pittsburgh preview
PNC Park
Last Meeting ( Aug 7, 2010 ) Colorado 7, Pittsburgh 8
Someone forget to raise the white flag at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park.
The Pirates, despite owning the National League’s worst record and having nothing to play for, continue to show some surprising pluck – especially against the Colorado Rockies.
In one of the more dramatic games of the season, Pittsburgh delivered another blow to Colorado’s playoff hopes with a stunning walk-off victory Saturday night.
Rookie Pedro Alvarez did the honors for the Pirates, slamming a three-run homer with two outs in the 10th inning off Rockies closer Huston Street to snatch a 7-5 victory from Colorado.
It was the second three-run blast in as many nights for Alvarez and prevented the Rockies from picking up a game on National League wild-card leader San Francisco.
Colorado absorbed its fourth loss in six games at the hands of the Pirates – all coming within the last two weeks – to remain 5 ½ games behind the Giants.
Now the Rockies must put the ball in the hands of reliever Esmil Rogers, who will make a spot start Sunday in place of injured Aaron Cook in the finale of the four-game series.
Colorado will be looking to salvage a split of the series after it appeared to steal an improbable win Saturday night by delivering what should have been a pair of knee-buckling blows to Pittsburgh.
Trailing 5-2 in the ninth inning, the Rockies got a three-run homer from Ian Stewart to deadlock the game and force extra innings.
Todd Helton then slammed a two-run blast in the top of the 10th for a 7-5 cushion, but Street couldn’t hold the lead and suffered his second blown save of the season.
Rogers (1-2) has not fared well in his two starts this season, both coming in early May. He allowed 10 runs – eight earned – on 12 hits in 8 2/3 innings and has not pitched more than 4 2/3 inning in any outing this year.
That doesn’t bode well for the Rockies, who wound up using eight pitchers in Saturday’s loss.
One thing that does bode well for Colorado is facing Pirates scheduled starter Paul Maholm, who is 1-5 with a 6.26 ERA in seven career starts vs. Rockies.
Maholm (7-9) was shelled for eight runs on 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings of a 9-3 loss at Colorado on July 29. Those are typical of the career numbers the left-hander has put up against the Rockies, having been battered for 30 runs and 61 hits in 41 2/3 innings and allowing a .351 batting average against.
The Pirates’ best hope may be to rely on the long ball. They have hit six homers in the first three games of the series, including a three-run blast by catcher Chris Snyder and a solo shot from Garrett Jones on Saturday night.