Colorado Rockies (22-32) at St. Louis Cardinals (31-24), 7:15 p.m.
Sports Network | June 6, 2009
(Sports Network) - If the Rockies offense can duplicate its success from this series opener, the club should have no problem matching its longest winning streak of the season.
Searching for a third straight win, Colorado plays the second contest of a four-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals this evening at Busch Stadium.
The Rockies reached double-digit runs for a second straight game on Friday to win back-to-back contests. Colorado managed just nine runs over a four-game losing streak, but halted that rut with a 10-3 win over Houston on Thursday. The offense didn't slow down in Friday's opener either, with Colorado converting nine hits and eight walks into an 11-4 victory.
Most of that damage came during a nine-run seventh inning. The first two runs of that frame came on bases-loaded walks, while Ian Stewart capped the burst with a three-run homer.
"It's good to win a game where you're not sweating it out until the last second, there's no doubt about that. We have been a victim of that a few different times this year, so it's good to be on the winning side," said Todd Helton, who cleared a bases-loaded situation in the seventh inning with a double.
The Rockies offensive output has them in position to win a season-high tying three straight games for the first time since April 7-10, the season's opening week.
Friday's victory was also the first this year for starter Jorge De La Rosa, who improved to 1-6 despite allowing solo homers to Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina and Ryan Ludwick. That wasn't enough for St. Louis, which lost for the fifth time in its last eight outings and dropped a game back of Milwaukee for first place in the National League Central.
Pujols, though, did extend his hitting streak to eight games, a run in which he is batting .483 (14-for-29) with four homers and nine RBI. He also reached base safely in a 24th consecutive contest.
Last night's contest was to feature the first start of Carlos Gonzalez's Colorado career. The key piece of the Matt Holliday trade to Oakland, Gonzalez was recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs, but had trouble getting to the ballpark and was a late scratch in left field. He did replace Dexter Fowler in center in the seventh inning and went hitless in his lone at-bat.
Colorado's Aaron Cook will try to put his inconsistent stretch behind him tonight. The 30-year-old has lost two straight starts and has allowed four earned runs in three of his last four starts, but has also notched a four-hit shutout versus the Braves in that span as well.
Cook lost to Houston on Monday, his second straight setback, after allowing four runs on nine hits over six innings, falling to 3-3 on the season with a 4.94 earned run average. The righty has also struggled on the road this season, posting a 1-2 mark in six starts as the guest with a 5.81 ERA.
Tonight, he will try to defeat the Cardinals for the first time in his career. In seven career appearances against St. Louis, Cook is 0-4 with a 6.63 ERA.
Todd Wellemeyer draws the starting assignment tonight for the Cardinals and after winning consecutive starts the right-hander lost to the Reds on Monday. He allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits and two walks over five innings of work.
"It is frustrating. I can't control the ball after I release it," said Wellemeyer, who fell to 5-5 with a 5.05 ERA on the season.
Wellemeyer will make his eighth start at home already this season, but has struggled at Busch Stadium. In seven starts as the host, the 30-year-old is 2-4 with a 5.35 ERA.
He has never lost to Colorado however, going 3-0 with a 2.87 ERA in four games (two starts) against the Rockies.
The Cardinals won four of seven over the Rockies last year.
