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Marlins-Rockies Preview

Apr 24, 2010 - 1:39 AM Florida (9-7) at Colorado (8-8), 5:05 p.m. EDT

The Colorado Rockies are returning home after completing a trip that encompassed a wide range of emotions.

Set to play at Coors Field for the first time since the death of team president Keli McGregor, the Rockies open a three-game series against the Florida Marlins with a doubleheader on Saturday.

Colorado's trip got off to an unforgettable start with Ubaldo Jimenez throwing the first no-hitter in the franchise's 18-year history in Atlanta last Saturday. The elated feeling took a sudden turn, though, as the 48-year-old McGregor was found dead in his hotel room in Salt Lake City on Tuesday morning.

The popular McGregor, who grew up in Colorado, played football at Colorado State and was drafted by the Denver Broncos, had been with the Rockies (8-8) since 1993. The team will have a memorial service for him at Coors Field before Sunday's finale.

"(McGregor) wore No. 88 in college, we scored eight runs in the third inning on Tuesday, and we're going home with an 8-8 record," manager Jim Tracy said after Thursday's 2-0 win over Washington.

"We've experienced euphoria," Tracy said, referring to Jimenez's no-hitter, "and we've absolutely been hit in the gut as hard as we possibly could have been punched."

Jimenez pitched another gem Thursday, limiting the Nationals to five hits in 7 1-3 innings, helping the Rockies win for the third time on the seven-game trip. Colorado finished with four hits Thursday, but two of them were homers from Ian Stewart and Miguel Olivo.

The Rockies are struggling a bit offensively, scoring three runs or fewer in three of five games, and getting back on track against Ricky Nolasco (1-0, 3.74 ERA) might not be that easy.

After struggling against two of the NL's worst teams - New York and Cincinnati - Nolasco managed to shut down one of baseball's top offenses last Saturday.

At Philadelphia's hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park, the right-hander was one out away from his second career shutout when Jayson Werth hit a solo homer. Nolasco ended up allowing five hits and three walks with four strikeouts in a complete-game 5-1 victory.

Nolasco has also had no trouble holding the Rockies in check, posting a 2.45 ERA in winning all three career starts. He's struck out 25 and walked two over 22 innings in those outings.

The Marlins (9-7) defeated Houston 5-1 on Thursday to avoid a three-game sweep. Cody Ross drove in two runs and Jorge Cantu singled to extend his hitting streak to 20 games.

"I'm just going to continue to ride this wave and see how long it takes me," said Cantu, hitting .316 during his run.

Cantu is 7 for 18 (.389) with a homer and four RBIs in six games at Coors Field, while Hanley Ramirez has hit safely in all 13 games there, batting .417 with three home runs, eight RBIs and 15 runs.

Florida went 4-2 against Colorado in 2009, with Ramirez hitting .577 with two homers, three doubles and nine runs.

Ramirez looks to continue this torrid clip against Greg Smith (1-1, 4.67), who makes his first career appearance against the Marlins.

Smith limited Atlanta to two runs and five hits Sunday but matched a career high with seven walks to run his pitch count up to 108. He was pulled after 5 1-3 innings.

The left-hander was still in position for the win when he departed, but the Braves rallied for two runs in the bottom of the ninth, handing the Rockies a 4-3 loss.

Nolasco and Smith were scheduled to pitch Friday night, but the game was postponed due to heavy rains.

In the second game of the doubleheader, Colorado's Aaron Cook (0-2, 7.53) will face Florida's Nate Robertson (2-0, 2.20).

Cook, who has won 27 games over the past two seasons, is off to a slow start. The right-hander has allowed 13 runs and 18 hits while walking nine over 14 1-3 innings.

Robertson, meanwhile, has pitched well. The left-hander, acquired from Detroit on March 30, has allowed four earned runs in his three starts while striking out 11 in 16 1-3 innings.

He allowed four hits over six innings in a 2-0 win at Philadelphia on Sunday.