Colorado @ Arizona preview
Chase Field
Last Meeting ( Sep 12, 2010 ) Arizona 2, Colorado 4
Troy Tulowitzki strives to keep his unconscious hitting prowess going on Tuesday when the Colorado Rockies open a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The shortstop has gone absolutely bonkers in September and has earned National League Player of the Week honors in back-to-back weeks while helping the Rockies get into the race for the NL West crown.
Tulowitzki has 14 homers and 34 RBIs in September after entering the month with 12 homers on the season. He joined Albert Belle and Barry Bonds as the only playeres to club 14 homers in a 15-game span.
In his last six games, the red-hot Tulowitzki has six homers and 17 RBIs.
Tulowitzki’s splurge has helped Colorado move to just 1 1/2 games behind the San Francisco Giants in the NL West. The San Diego Padres reside in second place, one game ahead of the Rockies.
Colorado’s chances of keeping its winning ways going should be pretty strong with the beleaguered Diamondbacks having lost 12 of 15 games. Arizona was swept in three-game series by the Pittsburgh Pirates - the worst team in the majors - over the weekend.
Midseason acquisition Joe Saunders will be on the mound for the Diamondbacks and the left-hander was roughed up by Colorado just two starts ago.
Saunders lasted just 2 1/3 innings, giving up seven runs, five hits and four walks. He lost to the NL Central-leading Cincinnati Reds in his most-recent start to fall to 2-6 since moving from the Los Angeles Angels in the deal for Dan Haren.
Saunders has a 4.88 ERA in 10 starts for Arizona.
Colorado will counter with left-hander Jorge De La Rosa, who is 4-0 over his last five starts.
De La Rosa got the victory in the recent game started by Saunders when he struck out 10 Diamondbacks in six innings. De La Rosa gave up two runs and five hits in six innings.
Overall, De La Rosa is 8-4 with a 4.25 ERA.
Arizona center fielder Chris Young has a .294 career average with two homers in 17 career at-bats against De La Rosa.
Outfield mate Justin Upton continues to be plagued by a shoulder injury and has started just two of the last 18 games. Upton is batting .273 with 17 homers and 69 RBIs.
Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez hasn’t homered since Sept. 7, but has continued to spray hits all over the field. Gonzalez is batting .444 (12-for-27) during his current seven-game hitting streak.
Gonzalez leads the National League with a .340 average.
Colorado’s Melvin Mora has a career average of .455 (10-for-22) against Saunders.