Philadelphia @ Colorado preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 22, 2013 ) Colorado 4, Philadelphia 5

The Philadelphia Phillies have played back-to-back 1-0 games, but the chances are slim they will play a third as they begin a 10-game road trip Friday with the first of three contests against the Colorado Rockies. Philadelphia completed a 4-5 homestand with a 1-0 victory over Atlanta on Thursday after splitting six games on the road to start the season. Colorado returns home after finishing a 3-4 trip through San Francisco and San Diego with a 3-1 victory over the Padres on Thursday.

The Rockies are happy to be back in spacious Coors Field, where they averaged 7.5 runs while going 4-2 during their first homestand compared to 3.4 in 11 road contests, losing seven. Colorado will likely be without reigning National League batting champion Michael Cuddyer, who injured his hamstring Thursday. Philadelphia's Jonathan Pettibone and Colorado's Tyler Chatwood, a pair of right-handers who weren't on their team's Opening Day roster, square off.

TV: 8:40 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, ROOT (Colorado)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH Jonathan Pettibone (0-0, 1.80 ERA) vs. Rockies RH Tyler Chatwood (0-0, 6.00)

Pettibone won his only start with Triple-A Lehigh Valley on April 6 before making his 2014 debut Saturday, when he allowed two runs (one earned) and eight hits in five innings of Philadelphia's 5-4 victory. The 23-year-old Placentia, Calif., native went 5-4 with a 4.04 ERA in 18 starts in 2013 - his rookie season. One of the losses came June 15 in Colorado, when he was crushed for career highs of seven runs (six earned) and 10 hits in three innings of a 10-5 setback.

Chatwood returned from a stint on the disabled list with a hamstring injury and yielded four runs and six hits in six innings of the Rockies' 5-4 loss at San Francisco on Saturday while throwing 74 pitches. Colorado needs the 24-year-old Redlands, Calif., native, who was 8-5 with 3.15 ERA in 20 starts during a breakthrough 2013, to help stabilize a rotation which has an ERA of 4.97. Chatwood allowed two runs and seven hits in five innings opposite Pettibone in the June 15 game.

WALK-OFFS

1. Rockies LF Carlos Gonzalez was given Thursday off after going 3-for-24 in the previous six games.

2. Phillies 1B Ryan Howard, who is 3-for-17 with eight strikeouts against left-handers, will be back in the starting lineup after walking as a pinch hitter Thursday.

3. The teams combined for 37 runs when Colorado took two of three from Philadelphia at Coors Field last season.

PREDICTION: Rockies 6, Phillies 5