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Cubs travel to Colorado for four-game series

Aug 9, 2007 - 2:50 PM Chicago Cubs (58-55) at Colorado (59-54) 9:05 pm EDT

DENVER (Ticker) -- The Colorado Rockies will look to stay hot when the Chicago Cubs come to town for a four-game series on Thursday.

The Rockies have been surging offensively as they completed a sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday, pounding the National League Central leaders by a 19-4 score. On the strength of its eighth win in its last 11 games, Colorado is now just 3 1/2 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West.

The Cubs will have a hard time derailing Colorado. The Rockies have been outstanding at Coors Field this season, winning their last five at home. On the season, Colorado has posted a 33-21 record inside the friendly confines.

However, the Rockies have lost three of the four games that Ubaldo Jimenez (1-1, 5.16 ERA) has started this season. The righthander suffered his first major league loss on Saturday against Atlanta. The 23-year-old lasted 4 2/3 innings, surrendering six runs and six hits in a 6-4 loss.

Jimenez faced the Cubs in his major league debut, allowing three runs in an 8-5 loss on the last day of the 2006 season.

Ted Lilly (12-5, 3.53) will start for the Cubs. The lefthander rebounded his last time out after having his personal six-game winning streak snapped by the Philadelphia Phillies on July 30. The 31-year-old pitched 7 2/3 innings, allowing two runs and seven hits in a 6-2 victory over the New York Mets on Saturday.

Lilly began his streak of six straight wins against the Rockies on June 26. He scattered six hits over six innings as the Cubs won, 8-5.

For his career, Lilly is 1-1 with a 9.39 ERA in two starts against the Rockies.