Colorado @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( May 31, 2014 ) Colorado 6, Cleveland 7

The Cleveland Indians try to improve on their American League-best 17-11 home record when they go for a three-game sweep of the road-challenged Colorado Rockies on Sunday. Lonnie Chisenhall and Mike Aviles - the No. 8 and 9 hitters in the lineup - combined to drive in all the runs in Cleveland's 7-6 victory Saturday. "(Aviles) knows he's going to play more than the average guy who doesn't start, so he stays in shape and stays ready," Francona told reporters after Aviles hit a three-run homer and broke a 6-6 tie with an RBI single in the eighth inning. "He knows how to play the game. You almost go looking for ways to get him into the game."

Colorado is 2-6 on its nine-game road trip and 3-11 in its last 14 contests away from home, and the most potent team in the National League at just under five runs per game has scored only 23 while losing seven of its last nine contests. The poster boy for the Rockies' road woes is Troy Tulowitzki, who leads the majors with a .352 average - .521 at home and .233 on the road - but is 8-for-41 in his last 12 games, dropping his average 48 points. Colorado's Jhoulys Chacin is winless in five starts after missing April with a shoulder injury and opposes Josh Tomlin, who has also made five starts in 2014 after returning from Tommy John surgery.

TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, ROOT (Colorado), STO (Cleveland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Colorado RH Jhoulys Chacin (0-4, 5.20 ERA) vs. Indians RH Josh Tomlin (3-2, 3.04)

Chacin was expected to be the co-ace of the staff with Jorge De La Rosa, but still hasn't found his rhythm after allowing four runs and seven hits in five innings of a 9-0 loss at Philadelphia on Monday. "I felt fine and my pitches were moving pretty good,'' the 26-year-old Venezuelan told reporters. Colorado's potent offense hasn't provided Chacin much assistance as he has received the lowest run support in the National League among pitchers with at least five starts at 1.3 runs per game.

Tomlin allowed five runs (two earned) and struck out eight in five innings of a 6-2 loss to the White Sox in Chicago on May 26, including a three-run homer to Dayan Viciedo in the third after third baseman Chisenhall kept the inning alive with a two-out error. "That's on me," Tomlin told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "I've got to do a better job of picking Lonnie up right there. Errors happen. ... it took a tough hop. I need to come back and make a better pitch to Viciedo right there." Tomlin, who owns a 0.98 WHIP and recorded 22 strikeouts and four walks in 26 2/3 innings, has struggled against Justin Morneau (5-for-13, two homers, six RBIs).

WALK-OFFS

1. Colorado's Michael Cuddyer, predominantly a right fielder and occasional first baseman, started at third Saturday for the first time since 2010 while with Minnesota and fielded all four chances flawlessly. Cuddyer played 171 games at third base for the Twins.

2. Indians LF Michael Brantley went 0-for-4 on Saturday to snap a 15-game hitting streak.

3. The Rockies are 12-20 on the road and on pace to go 30-51 away from home after recording 29-52 road marks in each of the last two seasons.

PREDICTION: Indians 3, Rockies 2