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Diamondbacks-Rockies Preview

Sep 5, 2009 - 6:18 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Arizona (61-74) at Colorado (74-60), 8:10 p.m. EDT

The Colorado Rockies hope a change of scenery will help Jose Contreras find success now that he's with a team in the thick of a pennant race.

Contreras makes his debut for the Rockies as they continue their home series with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night.

Looking for an established veteran to help fill the void in the starting rotation left by the injured Aaron Cook, Colorado (75-60) acquired the 37-year-old Contreras from the Chicago White Sox on Monday night for cash and minor leaguer Brandon Hynick.

While Contreras is 70-63 with a 4.66 ERA in seven seasons with the New York Yankees and White Sox, he went 5-13 with a 5.42 ERA in 21 starts for Chicago during a season where he was sent to the minors in May. He's 1-6 with a 6.97 ERA in his last nine starts.

"I know that my results weren't very good. But I'm very excited and happy, coming here to a playoff race," Contreras told the Rockies' official Web site. "Starting here with this team, I feel, will relax me."

Colorado, which has a one-game lead in the NL wild-card race, hopes that's the case as Contreras looks to become an effective contributor to the club's postseason push.

"If he can get to the point where he can get to the strike zone, he's not an easy guy to hit," Rockies manager Jim Tracy said.

Contreras is 1-1 with a 7.30 ERA against the Diamondbacks, but hasn't faced them since 2005.

While the Rockies hope their latest addition can help them in this contest, another new face on the team continues to pay dividends.

Jason Giambi delivered a pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth inning to lift Colorado to a 5-4 win over Arizona in Friday's series opener.

Giambi, released by Oakland on Aug. 7, is 2 for 2 with four RBIs in three games as a pinch-hitter for the Rockies since being called up from the minors Tuesday.

"That's what he's getting paid to do over there and that's his role," Diamondbacks manager A.J. Hinch said. "Obviously, this one hurts us."

Seth Smith had four hits and three RBIs for Colorado, which has won three of four since losing a season-high five in a row. The left fielder is 9 for 17 in his last five games.

Looking for a third straight win over Arizona (61-75), the Rockies hope for another productive effort at the plate against scheduled starter Doug Davis (7-11, 3.78), who looks to avoid a third straight loss to the Rockies this season.

Davis is 2-5 with a 5.03 ERA in nine starts against Colorado and 0-2 while giving up 12 runs and walking eight in 7 1-3 innings this season.

In his last start overall, the left-hander allowed three runs in six innings of a 5-3, 10-inning win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday. Davis is 0-1 with a 4.74 ERA in his last four starts.

Miguel Montero had two RBIs and rookie Gerardo Parra added two hits Friday for the Diamondbacks, who've lost three of four since winning five in a row.

Parra is 6 for 15 in his last four games and batting .308 against Colorado this season.