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Pirates-Rockies Preview

Jun 19, 2009 - 12:58 AM By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA STATS Senior Writer

Pittsburgh (31-34) at Colorado (32-33), 9:10 p.m. EDT

Interleague play failed to derail the Colorado Rockies' hot pitching. They weren't nearly as successful, though, against the Pittsburgh Pirates last month.

The surging Rockies look to avenge a poor effort earlier this season against the Pirates as the teams open a three-game set Friday night.

Colorado (33-33) has won 13 of 14, posting a 2.62 ERA during its victories over that stretch. The Rockies' only loss was in the opener of a series with Tampa Bay, 12-4 on Tuesday, but they held the Rays to three runs in each of the next two contests.

On Thursday, Colorado limited Tampa Bay to one run through eight innings before winning 4-3.

In the Rockies' first series of the year against Pittsburgh (31-35), however, they allowed a combined 18 runs in losing the final two games of a three-game set from May 15-17.

Jason Marquis (8-4, 3.77 ERA), set to take the mound for Colorado, is 8-6 with a 3.83 ERA in 23 appearances with 19 starts versus the Pirates.

The right-hander is 4-1 with a 2.08 ERA in his last six starts, surrendering just two home runs in 43 1-3 innings. He worked seven strong innings against Seattle on Saturday, giving up one run and seven hits in the Rockies' 5-3 win.

Marquis now will be facing a lineup that has been inconsistent all season. A day after scoring eight runs to win the middle game of its series with Minnesota, Pittsburgh was held to just six hits in a 5-1 loss Thursday.

It was the 23rd time that the Pirates have been held to two runs or fewer this season. They also struggled at hitter-friendly Coors Field last year, scoring a combined nine runs en route to being swept in four games from July 17-20.

Brandon Moss was a bright spot at the plate for the Pirates on Thursday, snapping an 0-for-15 skid with a second-inning double and singling in the fifth for his first multihit game since May 21. It was the right fielder's first start in five games.

"There's nothing better than when you're struggling to get some broken-bat hits," Moss, now hitting .250, told Pittsburgh's official Web site. "Hopefully, I can turn that on and start hitting some balls hard."

Colorado has hit five homers in its last two contests after failing to connect in its previous three. Clint Barmes hit a two-run shot while Todd Helton and Carlos Gonzalez added solo drives Thursday.

Barmes is batting .412 (7 for 17) with four RBIs in his last four games. Helton, meanwhile, has 25 RBIs in his last 29 games despite batting .262 over that stretch.

Colorado will be facing Ross Ohlendorf (6-5, 4.56) for the first time.

The right-hander gave up one run and two hits in six innings of Pittsburgh's 6-3 victory over Detroit on Sunday. Ohlendorf went 2-2 with a 5.56 ERA in his previous six starts.