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Cubs-Rockies Preview

Aug 8, 2009 - 6:36 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Chicago (57-49) at Colorado (59-49), 8:10 p.m. EDT

An injury to a Chicago Cubs starting pitcher may have put the Colorado Rockies in good position to continue their recent dominance over teams from the NL Central.

With former Cub Jason Marquis in position to become the NL's first 13-game winner, the Rockies continue their key four-game series with the Cubs on Saturday night at Coors Field.

The Rockies (60-49) avoided a third straight loss by winning 6-2 in Friday's opener for their 15th straight victory over a Central division opponent since losing at Houston on June 3.

Colorado, which is 18-8 against the Central, is tied with San Francisco for the wild-card lead. Chicago (57-50) is two games back.

Dexter Fowler had three hits and Todd Helton added two with two RBIs as the Rockies scored three times in the first off emergency starter Sean Marshall, who replaced Carlos Zambrano after the Cubs' ace was scratched because of a lower back injury.

The Rockies recorded 13 hits against four Chicago relievers. Getting into the Cubs' bullpen could play into Colorado's favor as the series continues.

"It was a big deal," said Helton, who's hit safely in 12 straight games. "We ate up their bullpen a little bit. It should help us the rest of the series."

Helton is batting .389 with three home runs and five RBIs against Chicago's scheduled starter Ryan Dempster (5-5, 4.09 ERA).

Though he is 4-3 with an 8.06 ERA in eight starts against Colorado, Dempster is 0-2 with a 22.00 ERA in three at Coors Field.

The right-hander, who's yet to receive a decision in two starts since coming off the disabled list with a fractured toe July 28, allowed three hits in six scoreless innings, but Florida hit back-to-back homers in the ninth to beat Chicago 3-2 on Sunday in his last outing.

"I feel good," Dempster told the Cubs' official Web site of his progress since returning from the injury. "I tried to execute as many pitches as possible."

Dempster will oppose former teammate Marquis (12-7, 3.49), who allowed one run in seven innings to earn a 5-2 victory at Wrigley Field on April 15 in his first start since the Cubs traded him to Colorado for reliever Luis Vizcaino in January.

The right-hander, who went 23-18 with a 4.43 ERA in 61 starts for Chicago in 2007 and 2008, is 4-5 with a 4.23 ERA in 11 starts against the Cubs.

In his last outing, Marquis gave up three runs and four hits in seven innings of a 6-4, 11-inning win at Cincinnati on Sunday.

Sluggers Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez were a combined 0 for 7 for the Cubs, who've been outscored 10-2 while recording nine hits in losing two in a row and falling to 3-4 on a 10-game road trip.

Lee, though, is batting .485 with four homers against Marquis, and Ramirez is hitting .429 with two home runs against him.