Colorado @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( May 30, 2014 ) Colorado 2, Cleveland 5

The Cleveland Indians will try to make it two straight over Colorado when they host the Rockies on Saturday in the middle contest of a three-game series. Cleveland recorded 15 strikeouts - 12 by starter Corey Kluber - when it snapped a four-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory on Friday. "To do it against that lineup tonight - that's a very difficult lineup to strike out," Francona told reporters about Colorado, which strikes out 6.9 times per game - fewest in the National League.

The Rockies fell to 2-5 on their nine-game road trip and the frustration level reached a boiling point when manager Walt Weiss was ejected for the first time in his 216-game career for arguing balls and strikes. Colorado, which leads the majors in runs scored at just under five per contest, recorded 17 while losing six of its last eight games. Colorado's Franklin Morales is winless in his last five starts (0-3) and opposes Trevor Bauer, who has yielded two home runs in each of his last two turns.

TV: 3:05 p.m. ET, ROOT (Colorado), STO (Cleveland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies LH Franklin Morales (3-4, 5.65 ERA) vs. Indians RH Trevor Bauer (1-2, 3.86)

Morales yielded five runs, three homers among five hits and three walks in 4 2/3 innings of a 7-0 loss at Atlanta on Sunday. The Venezuelan, who is 1-0 with a 2.92 ERA in three day appearances (two starts) in 2014, did not have his turn skipped despite the Rockies being off Thursday and his 7.11 ERA in the last six turns. Morales, who is 0-2 with a 6.10 ERA in seven games (one start) against Cleveland, remains a starter with Brett Anderson and Tyler Chatwood on the disabled list.

Bauer struck out 21 in 16 1 1/3 innings in his first three starts of the season, including eight in a 4-2 loss at Baltimore on Sunday when he allowed four runs in 4 1/3 frames. "I felt great all day. I just couldn't put the fastball where I wanted it," the third overall pick in the 2011 draft by Arizona told reporters after falling to 3-6 with a 5.07 ERA in 11 career starts. Bauer, a 23-year-old California native, allowed two runs and seven hits in a 6-2 victory over Detroit in his previous turn May 20.

WALK-OFFS

1. Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzki went 0-for-4 on Friday and is 8-for-37 with two homers and three RBIs in his last 11 games - lowering his major league-leading batting average 40 points during that span to .360.

2. Indians LF Michael Brantley has a 15-game hitting streak and is hitting .383 during that span.

3. Cleveland is an American League-best 16-11 at home.

PREDICTION: Indians 3, Rockies 2