San Francisco @ Colorado preview
Coors Field
Last Meeting ( Sep 25, 2010 ) San Francisco 9, Colorado 10
On paper, the pitching matchup clearly favors the San Francisco Giants. One look at Jorge De La Rosa's career numbers against San Francisco and the Colorado Rockies' odds get considerably better.
De La Rosa looks to remain undefeated against the Giants today when the Rockies host the division rival in the finale of their three-game series at Coors Field.
San Francisco had gone 18 consecutive games without allowing more than three runs before Colorado touched Barry Zito for four runs and five hits in 4 1/3 innings Saturday. Troy Tulowitzki played a major role in the Rockies' 10-9 comeback victory, tying the game in the eighth with a two-run double and ending it with an RBI double in the 10th.
Tulowitzki, who finished 4-for-5 with a home run and five RBIs, set a franchise record for RBIs in a month with 40. In June 1996, Dante Bichette drove in 39 runs.
Aubrey Huff also went 4-for-5 with a home run for the Giants while Cody Ross, Andres Torres and Freddy Sanchez also went deep.
With the victory, Colorado snapped a five-game losing streak and moved within four games of San Diego in the National League West. The Rockies are 3 1/2 games behind the Giants and Atlanta Braves in the NL wild card standings.
San Francisco fell one-half game behind San Diego in the West but is tied with Atlanta for the lead in the wild-card race.
De La Rosa hopes to keep his perfect record against San Francisco intact. In 11 career games - including eight starts - vs. the Giants, the left-hander is 6-0 with a 2.60 ERA.
The 29-year-old surrendered one run and four hits in seven frames against the Giants on Aug. 30 but did not figure in the decision of a 2-1 loss.
On Tuesday, De La Rosa allowed three runs and six hits over seven innings in a 3-1 loss at Arizona. The setback halted the pitcher's four-game winning streak.
De La Rosa has posted a 6-2 record and 4.06 ERA in 10 starts at home this season.
Opposing De La Rosa will be Matt Cain, who has been superb of late. The right-hander enters with an 18-inning scoreless streak and has gone 3-0 with a 2.55 ERA in his last six outings.
Cain yielded just two hits over six innings against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday but settled for a no-decision in San Francisco's 1-0 triumph.
In 21 career starts vs. the Rockies, Cain is 10-6 with a 3.01 ERA. This season, he has gone 2-0 with a 1.57 ERA in three outings against Colorado. Tulowitzki has gone 14-for-42 (.333) with three home runs and five RBIs against Cain.
The 25-year-old is 4-7 with a 3.46 ERA in 16 starts on the road this season.