Seattle @ Colorado preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 8, 2018 ) Colorado 4, Seattle 6

After struggling at Coors Field for much of the season, the Colorado Rockies are showing signs of reclaiming their home-field advantage. The Rockies are 20-23 at home but can take a step closer to the .500 mark on Friday, when they begin a three-game interleague series against the Seattle Mariners.

The Rockies improved to 9-3 over their last 12 games at Coors Field and recorded their season-high fourth straight series win on Thursday as Trevor Story belted his 18th home run in a 5-1 win over Arizona. Story has reached base safely in a career-high seven consecutive contests for Colorado, which has won 10 of its last 13 to climb within three games of the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the tight National League West. Seattle opened its West Coast trip by losing two of three to the Los Angeles Angels and will not have Nelson Cruz in the starting lineup this weekend. The veteran slugger will be limited to pinch-hitting duty as manager Scott Servais doesn’t want to risk an injury by putting Cruz in the outfield, where he has yet to appear this season.

TV: 8:40 p.m. ET, ROOT Northwest (Seattle), AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountain (Colorado)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Christian Bergman (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Rockies RH Antonio Senzatela (3-2, 5.34)

Bergman will be recalled from Triple-A Tacoma to start in place of Felix Hernandez, who landed on the 10-day disabled list this week with a stiff back. The 30-year-old Bergman is making his second spot start of the season after allowing two hits in seven scoreless innings against Texas on May 16. The Californian spent his first three seasons in the majors with Colorado from 2014-16, going 7-9 with a 5.79 ERA in 55 games - including 15 starts.

Senzatela is looking to bounce back from a rough outing against Seattle on Sunday, when he surrendered six runs and five hits over six innings in a 6-4 road loss. The 23-year-old Venezuelan is 0-2 with an 8.18 ERA in two career starts versus the Mariners. Denard Span is 3-for-10 with a home run against Senzatela, who owns a 9-3 record and 4.63 ERA in 12 career starts at Coors Field.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Mariners are 38-14 in games decided by fewer than three runs.

2. Colorado RHP Chad Bettis (blister) has been scratched from his scheduled start on Saturday.

3. Seattle LHP James Paxton left Thursday’s start against the Los Angeles Angels after 17 pitches with stiffness in his lower back and is listed as day-to-day.

PREDICTION: Rockies 7, Mariners 5