Colorado @ Miami preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 2, 2014 ) Colorado 6, Miami 5

It is no secret the Miami Marlins are banking on a squadron of young pitchers to shake the franchise out of three consecutive 90-plus loss seasons, and Jacob Turner makes his season debut Thursday as the Marlins host the Colorado Rockies in the finale of a four-game series. The 22-year-old right-hander won only three games a year ago, but had a 3.74 ERA and can pitch the Marlins to a 3-1 start to the season with a victory. Franklin Morales, who spent his first five seasons with Colorado before spending the past three years with Boston, returns to the Rockies after an offseason trade and makes his first start Thursday.

Colorado scored only four runs in the first two games of the series, but plated six runs in the first four innings of Wednesday’s 6-5 victory. Charlie Blackmon, who won a roster spot despite hitting .236 in spring training, reached base four times from the leadoff spot Wednesday to spark the Rockies’ offense. Miami saw Giancarlo Stanton blast his first homer of the season and got six scoreless innings from its bullpen, but three errors short-circuited the Marlins’ chances for a 3-0 start.

TV: 12:40 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Florida (Miami)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies LH Franklin Morales (2013: 2-2, 4.62 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Jacob Turner (2013: 3-8, 3.74)

Morales won a rotation spot with a solid spring, going 3-1 with a 2.10 ERA in seven starts. The left-hander made 20 appearances – 19 out of the bullpen – for the World Series champion Red Sox last season, going 2-2 with a 4.62 ERA. The 28-year-old makes his 26th career start and is 1-0 in four appearances lifetime against the Marlins.

The Marlins scored two runs or less in eight of Turner’s 20 starts a year ago, but he hurt his own cause at times, leading all National League pitchers with five errors and ranking ninth with 11 wild pitches. Turner wore down in September, posting an 8.16 ERA while losing all three of his starts. He is 0-2 lifetime against Colorado despite a 3.86 ERA in two starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Stanton has hit 11 homers in 27 career games against the Rockies.

2. Colorado 3B Nolan Arenado is 3-for-6 with two RBIs lifetime against Turner.

3. Colorado OF Carlos Gonzalez, who is 4-for-10 to start the season, left Wednesday's game in the sixth inning with dizziness.

PREDICTION: Marlins 3, Rockies 2