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Pirates-Rockies Preview

Jul 27, 2010 - 1:32 AM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

Pittsburgh (34-64) at Colorado (51-47), 8:40 p.m. EDT

The fading Colorado Rockies are still trying to snap their longest losing streak of the season as they return home from a miserable road trip.

With the NL's worst team in town - and Colorado's star shortstop back on the field - it may not be a big challenge.

Troy Tulowitzki hopes to help the Rockies snap their six-game skid as he returns from the disabled list for Tuesday night's opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates, who continue to struggle through a historically bad season on the road.

Colorado (51-48) slipped to fourth place in the NL West after losing nine of 11 on its troublesome trip, capped by its longest string of defeats since it dropped seven straight Sept. 6-13, 2008.

The Rockies' 5-4 loss at Philadelphia on Monday capped a four-game sweep and continued to frustrate manager Jim Tracy, whose team lost five one-run games on the trip.

"A similar story line for us," Tracy said. "That's how it's been for 11 games. A very tough trip and it didn't have to be that way. A couple of base hits would've made the difference."

A return to Coors Field, where the Rockies have won 15 of 19, may be enough for Colorado to produce different results.

Tulowitzki also plans to provide a boost in his first big-league action since June 17, when a pitch by Minnesota's Alex Burnett broke his left wrist. The All-Star was hitting .306 before his injury, and he's 32 for 71 (.451) with 13 extra-base hits in 19 career games against Pittsburgh.

"He makes everybody else on the team better," Tracy told the Rockies' official website. "That's what this young man has done for the Colorado Rockies in the past, and what he'll do again."

He's helped the Rockies go 9-1 against the Pirates at home since the start of 2008, and Colorado may be disappointed with anything less than a sweep in this three-game series.

That's because the Pirates (34-64) have been swept in seven of their last eight road series, losing 24 of 26 away from home. Their 11-38 road record is on pace to be the worst in the majors since the 1963 New York Mets.

"There's no magic pill to us winning on the road," general manager Neal Huntington told the Pirates official website. "We just need to play better baseball. We need to pitch better and we need to play better baseball on the road."

Pittsburgh, which has totaled 10 runs during its current four-game losing streak, was also swept at home by San Diego over the weekend.

Zach Duke (4-9, 5.22 ERA) hopes to stop the skid after ending a personal five-game slide Wednesday against Milwaukee, working six innings in a 15-3 victory.

The left-hander, who's making his third start since a stint on the disabled list with a strained elbow, allowed nine runs in five-plus innings in an 11-3 loss in his only previous appearance at Coors Field on July 20, 2008.

He'll face another southpaw who has battled injury as Jorge De La Rosa makes his fourth outing since recovering from a torn finger tendon.

De La Rosa (3-2, 5.65) is coming off his most encouraging outing since his return. He gave up two runs and three hits in six innings Thursday at Florida, although the Rockies lost 3-2.