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Nationals-Rockies Preview

Jul 8, 2009 - 6:13 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Washington (24-56) at Colorado (43-39), 3:10 p.m. EDT

After struggling through the first two months of the season, Jorge De La Rosa appears to have turned things around.

On Wednesday, the left-hander looks for a fourth straight victory while trying to help the Rockies to a sixth consecutive win over the Washington Nationals and a sweep of this three-game set at Coors Field.

While All-Star Jason Marquis and reliable Aaron Cook have anchored an improved Colorado (44-39) rotation this year, De La Rosa (5-7, 5.14 ERA) has reversed his fortunes after going 0-6 in his first 10 starts.

De La Rosa, who won a career-high 10 games for the Rockies last season, fell shy of his first career complete game after allowing four hits while striking out six and walking four in eight innings of a 5-0 win over Arizona on Friday.

"Once he establishes that fastball in the strike zone, it opens the door for his slider, curveball and changeup," manager Jim Tracy said of De La Rosa, who's won five of his last six starts and has a 2.75 ERA in his last three outings.

De La Rosa is 1-1 with a 4.34 ERA in three starts against Washington (24-57), which has lost five straight road games.

On Tuesday, Clint Barmes had two hits with two RBIs in Colorado's come-from-behind 5-4 victory.

"We'll take that one," said Barmes, who capped an error-fueled eighth-inning rally with a sacrifice fly for the eventual game-winner as the Rockies won their second straight one-run contest.

Looking for their second straight sweep of the Nationals dating to last season, the Rockies have recorded their most wins before the All-Star break since 2007, when they were 44-44 at the midpoint.

Barmes is 6 for 12 with four RBIs in his last three contests, and has driven in seven runs in 12 games versus Washington, which hands the ball to rookie left-hander Ross Detwiler.

Detwiler (0-4, 5.81) makes his 10th start looking for his first career victory after allowing five runs and 10 hits in 3 1-3 innings in Washington's 9-8 loss to Atlanta on Friday.

"I feel like everything is getting hit hard," Detwiler told the Nationals' official Web site after giving up 10 runs in 8 1-3 innings of his last two starts.

The left-hander is facing Colorado for the first time.

All-Star Ryan Zimmerman's three-run homer was his 14th of the season Tuesday for Washington, which had won two in a row prior to this series, but committed three errors in its latest defeat.

"From now on, we're going to play better defense," manager Manny Acta said of the Nationals, whose 77 errors are among the most in the majors.

Zimmerman has hit safely in five straight games and has six RBIs in his last four. He's a lifetime .326 hitter versus Colorado, but is 1 for 5 against De La Rosa.