• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Rockies-Marlins Preview

Jul 21, 2010 - 6:10 PM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Colorado (51-42) at Florida (45-48), 7:10 p.m. EDT

A trip to Florida has helped revive a Colorado lineup that had been sputtering.

The Rockies hope to continue their offensive surge and beat Ricky Nolasco for the first time in the continuation of a four-game set with the Marlins on Wednesday night.

Colorado (51-42) totaled four runs in losing two of three at Cincinnati to open an 11-game trip but has broken out in Florida. After falling 9-8 in Monday's opener, the Rockies evened the series by scoring six times in the third inning en route to a 10-0 rout of the Marlins on Tuesday.

Melvin Mora homered for one of his three hits and had five RBIs as Colorado won for the second time in six contests, while snapping Florida's three-game winning streak.

"Playing against the Marlins, you need to score early," Mora said. "Those guys can come back anytime. They're pretty good hitters."

No longer an everyday player in his 12th season, Mora had one homer and 14 RBIs this season before breaking out Tuesday. It is uncertain if the versatile Mora will be back in the lineup Wednesday after outfielder Carlos Gonzalez and first baseman Jason Giambi were given the night off.

Todd Helton also could return after missing more than two weeks with lower-back stiffness.

"We'll keep monitoring the situation," manager Jim Tracy said of Helton, who is hitting just .246 with two home runs and 16 RBIs. "What I see right now and I know what I see in batting practice is markedly better than what I was seeing prior to him being put on the disabled list."

Helton is 4 for 10 against Nolasco (9-7, 4.66 ERA), who is 4-0 with a 2.10 ERA as a starter against the Rockies. The right-hander allowed a run and struck out nine in eight innings of a 4-1 win at Colorado on April 24.

Nolasco was 4-0 with a 3.54 ERA before allowing four runs in the sixth inning of a 4-0 loss to phenom Stephen Strasburg and Washington on Friday.

Colorado scheduled starter Jason Hammel (7-4, 4.07) has not been very good against Florida, going 0-2 with a 9.72 ERA as a starter.

The right-hander was 6-0 with a 2.17 ERA in his last nine starts before the Rockies provided him with little support in a 3-2 loss at Cincinnati on Friday. Hammel allowed three runs and struck out a season-high 10 in seven innings.

All-Star Hanley Ramirez is 5 for 6 with a homer against Hammel, but 2 for 17 in his last four games after going 0 for 4 on Tuesday in the Marlins' most lopsided loss of the season.

The Marlins (45-48) have won four of six, but nine of the 14 runs they have scored during that stretch came in Monday's opening victory.