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Rockies, Bucs wrap up set in Steel City

Apr 10, 2011 - 3:04 PM (Sports Network) - Venezuelan youngster Jhoulys Chacin makes the 24th start of his big-league career - and second against Pittsburgh - when the Colorado Rockies wrap up a four-game series with the host Pirates at PNC Park.

Chacin, who turned 23 in January, dropped his initial meeting with the Pirates after allowing a hit and four runs in 2 2/3 erratic innings. He walked four and struck out one, leaving him with an ugly 13.50 earned run average against Pittsburgh in spite of a .125 opposition batting average.

The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder has fared a bit better against the rest of the majors, going 10-11 in his other 37 appearances - 22 starts - since making his debut as a 21-year-old in 2009.

In 155 1/3 combined innings, he's given up 125 hits and struck out 155 batters, including seven scoreless innings of five-hit ball in a 3-0 defeat of the Los Angeles Dodgers in his 2011 debut on April 5.

He'll be opposed by Pittsburgh righty James McDonald, who got a no-decision in his initial outing of the season - a 3-2 Pirates loss to St. Louis on April 5. McDonald allowed four hits and two runs in 4 2/3 innings of that start, walking four batters and striking out four.

McDonald split 2010 between the Dodgers - who drafted him in the 11th round in 2002 - and the Pirates, combining for a 4-6 record in 15 appearances and 71 2/3 innings.

He made a career-high 45 appearances - 41 in relief - with Los Angeles in 2009 and posted a 4.00 ERA with five holds and 54 strikeouts in 63 innings.

McDonald is 3-1 in six outings against the Rockies with a 3.06 ERA in 17 2/3 innings.

On Saturday, Ty Wigginton's three-run double in the eighth proved to be the difference, as the Rockies pulled out a 6-4 win. Seth Smith hit a solo homer for the Rockies, who bounced back from Friday's 14-inning loss.

Carlos Gonzalez went 3-for-4 with an RBI and run scored.

Greg Reynolds, making his first start of 2011 in place of the injured Ubaldo Jimenez, gave up two runs on three hits over six innings. Matt Belisle (1-0) got the win for recording the final two outs in the seventh.

Ryan Doumit hit a two-run homer for the Pirates, who also got a solo homer from Jose Tabata. Matt Diaz also drove in a run.

Charlie Morton allowed three runs - two earned - on five hits and five walks over a seven-inning start. Jose Veras (0-1) gave up Wigginton's double and suffered the loss.

Pittsburgh won four of its seven matchups with the Rockies in 2010, with the teams splitting a four-game set in the Steel City last August.