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Harvey aims for back-to-back wins against Rockies

Aug 22, 2012 - 2:23 PM (Sports Network) - Rookie right-hander Matt Harvey aims for consecutive wins for the first time in a brief big-league career Wednesday when the New York Mets host the Colorado Rockies in the third test of a four-game series at Citi Field.

The seventh overall pick of the 2010 draft, Harvey debuted this season with 5 1/3 innings of scoreless ball in a 3-1 defeat of Arizona on July 26 in Phoenix.

He subsequently lost three decisions in succession and allowed 14 hits and 10 runs in 17 innings against San Francisco, San Diego and Atlanta.

Win No. 2 followed on Aug. 16 in Cincinnati, when he pitched 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball in an 8-4 defeat of the Reds.

In 30 innings, he's pitched to a 3.00 earned run average and struck out 34 batters while allowing an opposition batting average of .191.

The Rockies reply with 31-year-old lefty Jeff Francis, who starts for the sixth time against the Mets in his 197th major-league appearance.

The British Columbia native was 6-16 with the Kansas City Royals last season before returning to the Rockies, with whom he pitched from 2004 through 2010.

He was signed by the Cincinnati Reds and released in June without appearing in the majors, then signed with the Rockies and has gone 4-4 in 15 starts with a 6.07 ERA across 72 2/3 innings.

Francis allowed four runs in five innings of a no-decision against Miami on Aug. 17 and last won a start earlier against Milwaukee, when he gave up three runs in 5 1/3 innings.

Lifetime against the Mets, he's 2-2 with a 4.91 ERA.

On Tuesday, Dexter Fowler drove in a pair of runs as Colorado claimed a 6-2 win. Charlie Blackmon scored twice and drove in a run while Jonathan Herrera had an RBI and a run scored for the Rockies, who have won three straight.

Jhoulys Chacin (1-3) was activated from the disabled list before the game and got his first win of the year as he gave up just one run on four hits over six innings.

"The win came about thanks to the starting pitching we got tonight," Colorado manager Jim Tracy said. "It was so nice to see him back on the mound and pitch as well as he did."

Daniel Murphy and Andres Torres each drove in a run for the Mets, who have dropped six of their last eight. Chris Young (3-7) gave up four runs - two earned - on five hits with a walk over seven innings in the loss.

The Mets won two of three games from the Rockies in April in Denver, while the Rockies won five of seven between the teams in 2011.