Colorado @ St. Louis preview

Last Meeting ( May 11, 2013 ) Colorado 0, St. Louis 3

The Colorado Rockies cannot seem to hit St. Louis Cardinals’ pitching. The Rockies will attempt to push across their first run of the series and avoid a three-game sweep when they visit the Cardinals in the finale on Sunday. Colorado has dropped four straight and has failed to score more than two runs in any of the last five contests. Shelby Miller and Adam Wainwright combined to allow four base runners in back-to-back shutouts for St. Louis.

Jaime Garcia will attempt to keep that string of dominant starts going for the Cardinals, who have won three straight and nine of 10. St. Louis has allowed an average of 2.2 runs in the last 10 games and has had no trouble with Rockies hitters in the first two games of the series. Eric Young Jr. had the lone hit leading off the game Friday before Miller set down 27 straight, and Wainwright made it 40 straight without reaching base until Todd Helton drew a walk in the fifth inning on Saturday. Colorado has been steadily trending down since its hot 13-4 start and has gone 6-13 since that point. The Rockies entered the series as the highest-scoring team in the National League.

TV: 2:15 p.m. ET, ROOT Sports (Colorado), Fox Sports Midwest (St. Louis)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies LH Jorge De La Rosa (3-3, 3.52 ERA) vs. Cardinals LH Jaime Garcia (4-1, 2.25)

De La Rosa knows a few things about scoreless appearances and has three on his resume in seven starts this season. The veteran left-hander limited the New York Yankees to three hits in six scoreless frames to earn Colorado’s last win on Tuesday. De La Rosa has struggled in the past against St. Louis, owning a 4-3 record with a 5.40 ERA in 13 games (seven starts). Matt Holliday, who left Saturday’s game in the ninth inning with an apparent ankle injury, is 4-for-7 against De La Rosa.

Garcia has been strong in winning three straight starts. He has gone eight innings while allowing one run in each of the last two . The left-hander has yielded fewer than three runs in five of his seven turns. Garcia has never beaten the Rockies and owns an 0-2 record with an 11.85 ERA in three starts. Carlos Gonzalez has done the most damage against Garcia with a homer and four RBIs in nine at-bats.

WALK-OFFS

1. Colorado SS Troy Tulowitzki and Gonzalez have combined to strike out nine times in the first two games of the series.

2. The last time St. Louis notched back-to-back shutouts of two or fewer hits was Sept. 27-28, 1973.

3. The Rockies have gone 26 straight innings without scoring a run.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 5, Rockies 2