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Rolling Rockies take on Giants in middle game of series

Aug 26, 2008 - 1:59 PM Colorado (62-71) at San Francisco (58-73), 10:15 pm EDT

SAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) -- The Colorado Rockies have looked a lot like the second-half team of last season, when they used a torrid finish to win the NL pennant. However, it may be a bit too late to duplicate such an outcome.

Having won eight of their last 10 games, the surging Rockies continue a three-game set with the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday at AT&T Park.

The Rockies ended 2007 winning 14 of their last 15 regular season games and 21 of 22 - including the playoffs - en route to claiming the National League pennant.

This season hasn't been so successful, though, because with two more losses, they will match last season's total.

Colorado, which has won three in a row, pulled within seven games of the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks (68-63) in the NL West Division. However, it is 15 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers (76-55) in the wild-card chase.

Jorge De La Rosa (6-7, 5.86 ERA) takes the mound with hopes of holding the opposition to three runs or less in three straight outings.

The 27-year-old lefthander had a brief stint in the bullpen, but came back to throw six stellar frames in a win against the Washington Nationals on August 15. On Thursday, he allowed two runs - one earned - and six hits against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 3-1 shortcoming.

After having their six-game winning streak snapped, the Giants will counter with rookie Matt Palmer (0-1, 8.64), who looks to notch his first career win in his third major-league start.

The 29-year-old righthander held the Florida Marlins to two runs and six hits in six innings on Thursday, but didn't factor in the decision.

Prior to that, he coughed up six runs and seven hits in 2 1/3 frames to the Atlanta Braves on August 16 in his debut.

Jeff Francis won for the first time in over two months and Yorvit Torrealba hit a two-run home run against his former club as the Colorado Rockies won, 4-2, in the opener.