Colorado @ Texas preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 9, 2016 ) Texas 7, Colorado 5

The Texas Rangers are on a roll as they prepare to host the second leg of a home-and-home series against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday. Still, the return to Globe Life Park following an eight-game road trip will start on a somber note for Texas with slugger Prince Fielder expected to announce that his playing days after over.

Fielder, in his third season with the Rangers, is walking away from the game after undergoing neck surgery on July 29 -- the second surgical procedure on his neck in a 26-month span. "If he's going to be pushed out of baseball it's going to be sad," Texas third baseman Adrian Beltre told reporters. "But health and family are before baseball." The American League-best Rangers are riding a four-game winning streak, rallying for six runs over the final three innings in Tuesday's 7-5 victory after jolting Colorado with three ninth-inning runs in Monday's 4-3 win. The Rockies, who were without right fielder Carlos Gonzalez for the past two games, have lost five of six to drop into sixth place in the chase for the two National League wild cards.

TV: 8:05 p.m., ROOT (Colorado), FSN Southwest (Texas)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies LH Jorge De La Rosa (7-7, 5.24 ERA) vs. Rangers LH Martín Pérez (7-8, 4.33)

De La Rosa had to settle for a no-decision despite limiting Miami to one run on four hits over six innings last time out. It was the eighth quality start in nine outings for the 35-year-old, who has not allowed a home run in his last five turns and has yielded four earned runs over his last three starts. De La Rosa is 2-0 with a 5.00 ERA in three starts versus Texas, holding Beltre, Elvis Andrus and Carlos Beltran to a collective 1-for-20.

Perez is coming off another rocky outing, surrendering five runs over seven innings to take the loss at Houston and fall to 0-4 with an unsightly 7.07 ERA in his last six starts. Four of those starts have come on the road for the 25-year-old Venezuelan, who has been markedly better at home with a 6-1 record and 2.54 ERA in 11 outings. Perez has made a pair of starts against the Rockies, allowing nine runs (eight earned) over 11 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Rockies CF Charlie Blackmon is 9-for-18 with two homers, seven RBIs and five runs scored during a four-game hitting streak.

2. Andrus had a game-tying two-run single and a go-ahead RBI single in the past two wins over Colorado.

3. Rockies rookie LF David Dahl has hit safely in all 15 games, the third-longest streak for a player to start his career.

PREDICTION: Rangers 4, Rockies 3