Colorado @ St. Louis preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 25, 2014 ) St. Louis 9, Colorado 6

The St. Louis Cardinals turn to ace Adam Wainwright to try to stop the bleeding in the opener of a nine-game homestand Friday night against the Colorado Rockies. Wainwright, who is 6-1 with a 1.50 ERA in his career against Colorado, is coming off his 20th career complete game in a 9-1 rout of Milwaukee on Sunday, part of an impressive recent surge for the Cardinals. That surge reached an end with three straight losses to end a four-game set at Cincinnati, capped by Thursday's 1-0 setback.

St. Louis managed only two runs on nine hits in the final two games of the three-game slide, which has reduced their lead in the National League Central to 2 1/2 games over Pittsburgh. After completing a homestand with four straight wins, the Rockies opened their six-game road trip with three straight losses at the New York Mets. Colorado also has struggled at the plate, producing two runs on 18 hits in the series and getting shut out 2-0 on Tuesday and Wednesday.

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, ROOT Sports (Colorado), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies LHP Jorge De La Rosa (13-10, 4.27 ERA) vs. Cardinals RHP Adam Wainwright (17-9, 2.62)

De La Rosa has failed to get beyond six innings in each of his last three starts, allowing nine runs in 16 2/3 innings overall. He has surrendered one home run in eight consecutive outings and in five straight on the road. De La Rosa, who needs 1 2/3 innings to establish the second-highest single-season total of his career, gave up five runs (four earned) and a season-high 10 hits in a win over St. Louis at home June 24 and is 6-3 lifetime versus the Cardinals.

This will be the 30th start for Wainwright, who will have reached that mark in five straight seasons, excluding the 2011 campaign he missed while recovering from Tommy John surgery. His effort against the Brewers helped to overcome a relatively rocky stretch in which he gave up three earned runs or more in five consecutive starts. Wainwright has allowed 20 earned runs over his last five appearances at home, where he owns a 3.86 ERA.

WALK-OFFS

1. St. Louis has won 19 of the last 27 meetings.

2. Cardinals LF Matt Holliday is 6-for-14 against De La Rosa.

3. Rockies LF Corey Dickerson was 1-for-13 with five strikeouts in the series against the Mets.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 4, Rockies 2