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Marcum aims for sixth straight victory in clash with Rockies

May 21, 2011 - 2:42 PM (Sports Network) - Milwaukee starter Shaun Marcum will try to win six straight decisions for the first time in his career and lift the Brewers to a second consecutive win over the Colorado Rockies this evening at Miller Park.

Marcum won his second outing in a row on Monday versus the Dodgers, holding them to a run on five hits over seven innings of a 2-1 victory. He improved to 5-1 with a 2.54 earned run average on the season in nine starts and hasn't lost since his Brewers debut on April 2.

"He was down in the zone really well and he changed speeds so much that he become difficult to lock in on one pitch," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke told his club's website. "If you are a hitter, it is hard to go up to the plate and sit on a certain pitch. You get so many different pitches from him on both sides of the plate that you have no smart way to approach him."

The 29-year-old right-hander has allowed one earned run or less in five of his nine appearances this year and will make his first career start versus the Rockies. He has faced them once in relief, yielding a pair of runs in an inning of work while with the Blue Jays during the 2006 season.

Marcum will be looking to pitch the Brewers to their seventh victory in nine games after they captured last night's opener, 7-6, on Prince Fielder's walk- off two-run homer.

Fielder's heroics came after Colorado's Dexter Fowler singled home Chris Iannetta in the top of the 14th. The Rockies blew four leads overall in the game, including one in the 13th inning when a homer by Yuniesky Betancourt for Milwaukee in the bottom of the frame wiped out Seth Smith's RBI triple that had put Colorado in front in the away portion of the inning.

"We got down a couple of times. We came through with big hits and showed a lot of energy," Roenicke said. "It's a great way to end a long day."

Jason Giambi homered for the fourth time in two games and starter Jason Hammel also went deep for the Rockies, who lost for the second time in three games.

Todd Helton sat out again with a stiff back and Carlos Gonzalez did not start the contest due to a groin injury, but did pinch hit in the 10th inning.

"I don't think you can ask a group of guys to scratch and claw the way our guys did. We had a chance to win three different times, and every time they answered. Give them credit," Rockies manager Jim Tracy said.

With Esmil Rogers still out with injury, Clayton Mortensen will make his third start of the season for Colorado and is coming off his first victory since Sept. 17, 2009. The right-hander defeated the Giants on Monday, giving up four runs on seven hits over six innings of a 7-4 triumph.

Mortensen is 1-0 with a 2.01 ERA in five games this year, including two starts, and the 26-year-old faces the Brewers for the first time in his career.

Colorado won all six of its meetings with Milwaukee in 2009, but won just five of nine a season ago, dropping two of three at Miller Park.