Atlanta @ Colorado preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 10, 2014 ) Atlanta 13, Colorado 10

The Atlanta Braves and the Colorado Rockies engaged in a good old fashioned Coors Field slugfest on Tuesday and both offenses look primed to continue the onslaught. The Rockies try to avoid a fourth straight loss when they host the Braves in the third contest of a four-game set on Wednesday. Atlanta put up seven runs in the first inning alone and still had to sweat out a 13-10 victory as Colorado fought back several times.

The Rockies had seven players drive in at least one run on Tuesday and leading hitter Troy Tulowitzki was not one of them, giving the team hope that it has even more in store for the Atlanta staff. Colorado has traditionally struggled to find the pitching to match its prodigious offense and is in a similar rut right now with an average of 7.4 runs allowed in the last 12 games – 11 losses. The Braves did the bulk of their damage Tuesday without one of their best weapons when Justin Upton left in the first inning with a hamstring injury.

TV: 8:40 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Atlanta), ROOT (Colorado)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Julio Teheran (6-3, 1.89 ERA) vs. Rockies LH Tyler Matzek (NA)

If any pitcher can stop Colorado and tame Coors Field, it’s Teheran, who leads the majors in ERA and is riding a four-start winning streak. The Colombia native surrendered more than two earned runs in just two of his 13 turns, including six scoreless innings at home against Colorado on May 25. Teheran is 3-0 with a 1.00 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 21 total innings against the Rockies in his career.

Matzek is the latest rookie to get a chance for Colorado and is expected to make his major-league debut on Wednesday. The 23-year-old traveled an injury-plagued path to the majors since being drafted No. 11 overall in 2009. Matzek got his first taste of Triple-A in 12 starts for Colorado Springs this season and went 5-4 with a 4.05 ERA.

WALK-OFFS

1. Rockies OF Carlos Gonzalez had a mass removed from his left index finger during exploratory surgery on Tuesday. A biopsy is next on his agenda.

2. Atlanta 3B Chris Johnson recorded three hits in each of the first two games of the series.

3. Tulowitzki is hitless in the first two contests of the series to drop his average from .361 to .349.

PREDICTION: Braves 7, Rockies 2