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Rockies-Nationals Preview

Aug 19, 2009 - 4:00 AM By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA STATS Senior Writer

Colorado (65-53) at Washington (43-75), 7:05 p.m. EDT

Washington Nationals starter Collin Balester has been allowing home runs early and often. His fortunes may not change with Carlos Gonzalez possibly set to remain in the leadoff spot for the Colorado Rockies.

Gonzalez, who has homered in three straight games, looks to help the Rockies become the latest team to take advantage of a matchup with Balester as they face the Nationals on Wednesday night.

Batting first, Gonzalez extended his home run streak with a solo shot in the eighth inning as Colorado (66-53) opened this three-game set with a 4-3 win over Washington (43-76) on Tuesday night.

The 23-year-old center fielder, who had previously been batting second, has five homers and nine RBIs in his last seven games after going deep just twice in his first 45.

"Like I tell everybody: It doesn't matter where you're hitting," said Gonzalez, part of an offseason trade that sent Matt Holliday to Oakland and closer Huston Street to Colorado. "I take every pitch very important because our team is in the race."

Rockies manager Jim Tracy, trying to help his team hold a slim wild-card lead, shuffled the top of his order, bumping Gonzalez up from No. 2 for the second time this year and dropping Dexter Fowler down a spot.

"We're not hurting ourselves, certainly. Not one bit," Tracy said of the changes. "We possibly could be enhancing ourselves even more by seeing how this turns out."

Gonzalez's latest homer was one of three hit by Colorado. Brad Hawpe and Clint Barmes also connected for the Rockies, who have 16 in their last eight games.

They may get more against Balester (1-2, 6.00 ERA), who has been vulnerable to the long ball. He has surrendered a combined five homers through the first two innings of his last two starts and 21 in 104 innings for his career.

The rookie right-hander has allowed three homers and five runs in each of his last two outings. Balester lasted five innings in his last start as Washington lost 7-0 to Cincinnati on Thursday night.

This will be his first appearance against the Rockies.

Colorado will counter with Jason Marquis (13-8, 3.55), who has a 2.37 ERA in his last eight starts.

The right-hander allowed one run and three hits while striking out six in seven innings of Colorado's 10-1 victory over Pittsburgh on Thursday.

Marquis, who is 3-4 with a 3.36 ERA in 12 starts versus the Nationals, will face a Washington team that has scored three runs or fewer in five of its last seven contests. The Nationals failed to take advantage of 10 hits Tuesday, stranding nine runners.

"We play hard. I don't think it matters if we're playing the Bad News Bears," Washington right fielder Adam Dunn said, "or if we're playing these guys that are in the playoff race."

Washington third baseman Ryan Zimmerman is 3 for 14 following a 16-game hitting streak. He's 3 for 17 in four games against Colorado this year.

Meanwhile, Nationals leadoff hitter Nyjer Morgan has remained hot, batting .394 in his last eight contests and .429 in seven games versus the Rockies this season.

Morgan, acquired from Pittsburgh in a four-player trade June 30, is hitting .310 with 39 stolen bases in his first year as a full-time starter.