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Rockies-Mets Preview

Aug 11, 2010 - 4:36 AM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

Colorado (58-53) at New York (55-56), 7:10 p.m. EDT

The New York Mets continue to dominate the Colorado Rockies at home.

They'll look to make it 23 wins in 26 home games against the Rockies on Wednesday night when the teams continue a three-game series.

The Mets (56-56) won 1-0 on Tuesday, and not scoring in New York has been a pattern for the Rockies. Colorado (58-54) has been blanked in five of its last seven visits - losing six times.

Mike Pelfrey allowed three singles and a double in seven sharp innings to outduel 17-game winner Ubaldo Jimenez. The Mets scored off the Rockies ace on Jose Reyes' sacrifice fly in the seventh inning.

"You don't score you can't win," Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. "I felt like we had some pitches to hit. We hit them back to the screen."

Colorado has lost nine of 11 on the road to fall into fourth place in the NL West.

The Rockies may be able to break out Wednesday since they are 24-17 against left-handed starters for the third-best mark in the NL and will face southpaw Jonathon Niese (7-5, 3.63 ERA). The Mets starter is 0-1 with a 7.15 ERA in two career starts against the Rockies, yielding five runs over five innings April 14 in a 6-5, 10-inning loss.

Niese pitched well last Friday, giving up one run in seven innings and not receiving a decision in a 7-5 loss at Philadelphia.

The Rockies will counter with a left-hander in veteran Jeff Francis (4-4, 4.67), who gave up five runs over 5 2-3 innings in Thursday's 5-1 loss at Pittsburgh. He had been 2-0 with a 4.00 ERA in his previous five outings.

Francis is 2-2 with a 5.40 ERA in four career starts against the Mets, who he last faced May 24, 2008. Mets third baseman David Wright is 6 for 9 with three solo homers against Francis.

Perhaps the sight of Francis will revive Wright, who is 2 for 29 with eight strikeouts in eight games this month. The All-Star led the NL in batting over the months of June and July with a .351 average.

Wright isn't the only Mets hitter struggling with Carlos Beltran not starting Tuesday. Beltran walked as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning, and is hitting .195 since returning from the disabled list after the All-Star break.

Mets manager Jerry Manuel said he has talked to Beltran about his woes.

"Basically, seeing where he was mentally, emotionally. Letting him know I was going to keep him fresh as possible," Manuel said.

New York was successful in cooling off Troy Tulowitzki who is one of the few Rockies hitting well in recent games. Tulowitzki went 0 for 4 after going 12 for 21 over his previous five games.

Colorado expects to get Huston Street back to its bullpen Wednesday. Street was not with the team Tuesday since his wife Lacey gave birth to the couple's first child, a son named Ripken Ray on Monday night in Denver.