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Jun 24, 2009 - 6:44 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Colorado (37-34) at Los Angeles (37-32), 10:05 p.m. EDT

Things are going so well for the Colorado Rockies' Jason Marquis that one of his only hiccups lately was missing a complete-game victory by one out.

Marquis will try to get Colorado back in the win column Wednesday night at Angel Stadium where it concludes its three-game interleague set with a Los Angeles Angels club that has pulled even for the AL West lead.

Marquis (9-4, 3.71 ERA) just missed his sixth career complete game Friday, giving up three runs and eight hits over 8 2-3 innings. Manager Jim Tracy gave him a chance to complete the game after allowing an RBI single by pinch hitter Eric Hinske, but rookie Andrew McCutchen added an run-scoring triple that ended Marquis' outing.

Alan Embree needed six pitches to close out the 7-3 win over Pittsburgh.

"I needed to make better pitches to Hinske and McCutchen. But you know what, we got the win and that's what matters," said Marquis, 5-1 with a 2.25 ERA in his last six starts.

With a win Wednesday, Marquis would reach double-digits for the sixth straight year. Now in his 10th season, he has never faced the Angels.

Marquis, though, has faced Bobby Abreu, and the Angels slugger is just 3 for 21 lifetime against the right-hander. Abreu knocked in the tying and go-ahead runs with a bases-loaded single in the eighth inning Tuesday as Los Angeles snapped Colorado's six-game winning streak, 4-3.

"(Colorado starter Ubaldo) Jimenez had nasty stuff," Angels center fielder Torii Hunter said. "He struck Bobby out twice, but Bobby came through in the end and picked us up big-time. Bobby's a veteran hitter, and when the situation calls for it, he's ready for it."

The Rockies (37-34) had won 17 of their last 18 and a franchise-best nine straight on the road.

After batting .327 during a six-game winning streak overall, Colorado had just six hits Tuesday. Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, though, had his first career multihomer game with a leadoff shot in the fourth and two-run drive in the sixth that chased Angels starter Sean O'Sullivan.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles (37-32) ended its three-game and moved into a tie with Texas atop the division. It is the first time the Angels have been in first since defeating Oakland 3-0 on Opening Day.

Joe Saunders (7-4, 3.80) takes the mound as Los Angeles tries to close out its six-game homestand with a .500 record. The left-hander did not factor in Friday's 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers after yielding four runs and six hits over 6 1-3 innings.

Saunders struck out four, but he walked three and gave up two homers during his 102-pitch outing.

"I was struggling to make pitches all night," he said. "It was a matter of who can outlast who and (Dodgers righty Chad) Billingsley and I were both battling out there. It's kind of one of those nights where you know you don't have anything."

This is Saunders' first appearance against Colorado.

Rockies first baseman Todd Helton had a first-inning double to extend his hitting streak to five games. He is batting .349 (22 for 63) since Colorado dropped four in a row from May 31-June 3.

Los Angeles third baseman Chone Figgins is hitting .389 (21 for 54) in interleague play this year. The Angels are 10-4 against NL opponents.