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Pirates-Rockies Preview

Aug 12, 2009 - 5:48 AM By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA STATS Senior Writer

Pittsburgh (45-66) at Colorado (62-50), 8:40 p.m. EDT

The Colorado Rockies had been enjoying a strong stretch at the plate. They had no reason to believe it would have ended against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

After losing to the Pirates at home for the first time in eight games, the Rockies look to bounce back from a subpar performance Wednesday night.

Colorado (62-51) had scored at least five runs in four straight games entering this three-game series, including two 11-run efforts to beat the Chicago Cubs on Sunday and Monday. The Rockies, though, went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position in a 7-3 loss to the Pirates (46-66) on Tuesday night.

"If we're going to make the playoffs we better wake up and start playing," said second baseman Clint Barmes, whose team has a one-game lead over San Francisco in the wild-card race.

Pittsburgh snapped an eight-game losing streak and won at Colorado for the first time since a 5-1 victory Aug. 23, 2007. The Rockies averaged 7.0 runs during their winning streak against the Pirates at Coors Field.

Without its leadoff hitter, Colorado wasn't able to continue that success. Center fielder Dexter Fowler was scheduled to have an MRI exam Tuesday on his left knee after hurting himself Monday.

Fowler crashed face-first into the wall after catching a long drive in the ninth inning. Manager Jim Tracy doesn't believe the injury is serious and said the team just wants to be sure Fowler is OK.

Fowler, in his first full season with Colorado, is hitting .264 with four home runs and 26 stolen bases.

The Rockies' lineup did have some bright spots as Troy Tulowitzki and Todd Helton continued their strong hitting.

Tulowitzki, who hit for the cycle and had seven RBIs on Monday, homered in his first at-bat Tuesday. The shortstop is hitting .460 with four homers and seven doubles in 17 games against the Pirates.

Helton tripled to extend his hitting streak to 16 games. The veteran first baseman is one game shy of matching the longest hitting streak of his career, set June 15-July 2, 2003.

Helton has never faced Kevin Hart (3-1, 2.94 ERA), who is set to make his second start for the Pirates.

He was in line to win his Pittsburgh debut a week after being acquired from the Cubs, but the bullpen couldn't hold the lead in an 11-6, 12-inning loss to Arizona on Thursday night. Hart gave up three runs and nine hits in six innings, leaving with Pittsburgh ahead 6-3.

This will be the right-hander's first start versus the Rockies. He pitched one inning of relief against them April 24, 2008, suffering a loss after surrendering two runs for Chicago in a 4-2 defeat.

Colorado will counter with Ubaldo Jimenez (9-9, 3.65), who is 3-0 with a 3.12 ERA in his last five starts, striking out 33 in 34 2-3 innings. The right-hander gave up two runs and walked five over 6 2-3 innings in beating the Cubs 6-2 on Friday night.

Jimenez is 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in three career starts against the Pirates.

He'll be facing a Pittsburgh team that finally got some production on the road. The Pirates had lost five straight away from PNC Park, getting shut out three times and scoring four runs.

Andrew McCutchen gave Pittsburgh a spark, stealing three bases and scoring three runs. The rookie center fielder is batting .293 with seven homers, 17 doubles and 12 stolen bases in 59 games.