Colorado @ Kansas City preview

Last Meeting ( May 13, 2014 ) Colorado 1, Kansas City 5

The Kansas City Royals are doing their best impersonation of the Rockies as they try for a two-game sweep when against visiting Colorado on Wednesday. Kansas City has 18 home runs - the fewest in the major leagues - but has belted four in its last two games, including blasts by Lorenzo Cain and Salvador Perez in Tuesday's 5-1 victory. Colorado, which leads the majors with 57 homers, has dropped four of its last five contests and will try to avoid losing three in a row for the first time this season.

The Royals have won five of their last seven games to climb back to .500, and while the long ball has helped, their starting pitchers have posted a 2.66 ERA during that span. The Rockies continue to be a different team on the road, where they are 10-13 and averaging four runs while going 13-5 and scoring 7.7 runs per game at home. Kansas City's Jason Vargas, who recorded seven scoreless innings in his last outing, opposes Jhoulys Chacin, who is coming off a much-improved effort in his second start of 2014.

TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Colorado), FSN (Kansas City)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Jhoulys Chacin (0-1, 4.91 ERA) vs. Royals LH Jason Vargas (3-1, 3.04)

Chacin, who didn't make his first start of the season until May 4 because of a strained shoulder, received a no-decision after allowing two runs and four hits in six innings of Colorado's 4-3 loss at Cincinnati on Friday. It was a far better outing than when the 26-year-old Venezuelan yielded four runs and eight hits in five frames of a 5-1 loss to the New York Mets. Norichika Aoki has belted three solo home runs among his four hits in nine at-bats against Chacin, who never has faced the Royals.

Vargas improved to 14-5 with a 3.28 ERA in 35 May outings (30 starts) after striking out six and allowing two hits in Kansas City's 6-1 victory at Seattle on Friday. ''When he's on his game, like he was (Friday), he really works the accelerator really well,'' Royals manager Ned Yost told reporters. ''He pushes down with the fastball, backs off with the changeup. Good curveball. What pitchers like Vargie do so well is they disrupt the opposition hitters' timing. He did that extremely well tonight.'' The 31-year-old Apple Valley, Calif., native is 1-2 with an 11.22 ERA in four starts against the Rockies, while Brandon Barnes (4-for-6) has been a tough out.

WALK-OFFS

1. Colorado SS Troy Tulowitzki went 1-for-3 with a walk Tuesday, lowering his major league-leading average to .394 but raising his average to .250 on the road.

2. Kansas City 2B Omar Infante (back) on Tuesday was placed on the disabled list while 2B Pedro Ciriaco was recalled from Triple-A Omaha.

3. The Rockies turned two double plays Tuesday and lead the major leagues with 48.

PREDICTION: Royals 3, Rockies 2