Cardinals 4 - 2 Rockies
Final
  for this game

Cards attempt to salvage set with Rockies

Jun 10, 2015 - 12:22 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The St. Louis Cardinals look to avoid their first sweep of the season when they close out a three-game series Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.

The Cardinals have lost three of their last four games and the NL Central leaders dropped a 4-3 decision Tuesday, as starting pitcher Michael Wacha lost for the second time this season (8-2) after allowing all four runs and nine hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Wacha struck out 10 and walked one batter. He gave up a two-run homer to Nolan Arenado in the bottom of the sixth inning.

"We got some timely hits off Wacha and that's tough to do off him," said Colorado manager Walt Weiss. "Jorge (De La Rosa) tossed a real solid game and it was nice to see the guys back him."

De La Rosa held the Cardinals to a pair of runs and three hits in seven innings, striking out eight and walking two.

Peter Bourjos and Jhonny Peralta both homered in the loss. The Cardinals, who dropped an 11-3 decision on Monday, are still 11-5 in their last 16 games and will host Kansas City and Minnesota next.

Carlos Martinez draws the start for the Cardinals Wednesday and is 6-2 with a 2.94 earned run average in 12 games (11 starts). St. Louis has won his last four starts and Martinez is 3-0 in that time. He has allowed only one run in his last four outings (27 1/3 innings) and threw seven innings of one-run ball in Friday's 2-1 win at Los Angeles. He struck out 11 and walked four.

Martinez has fanned at least eight batters in three straight and four of his last five appearances. The Cardinals are 10-2 when Martinez takes the hill and the right-hander will make his first career start against the Rockies. He has faced them four times in relief and has no record with a 14.54 ERA.

The Rockies look to continue their solid play and target a rare sweep of the Cardinals. They won for the 12th time in the last 17 games thanks to De La Rosa's strong performance and clutch hitting.

DJ LeMahieu went 3-for-4 with an RBI and Arenado's big homer gave Colorado some breathing room. Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki is hitting .500 with five homers during a nine-game hitting streak.

Colorado, which now sits a half-game ahead of Arizona for the fourth spot in the NL West, is 5-4 on a 10-game homestand and will visit Miami and Houston next.

Chad Bettis will make his sixth start to the season Wednesday and is 2-0 with a 2.70 earned run average. Bettis did not record a decision in last Wednesday's 7-6 win over the Dodgers and was reached for only two runs (1 earned) and five hits. He struck out five and has whiffed that many in his past four games.

In two career relief appearances against St. Louis, Bettis is 1-0 with a 9.00 ERA.

The Cardinals went 5-1 against the Rockies last season and the two clubs will meet for four games at Busch Stadium from July 30-Aug. 2.






Related News