The Colorado Rockies have become accustomed to winning at home and shoot for a fifth straight win at Coors Field tonight in the continuation of a four-game series versus the Miami Marlins.
The Rockies are riding a four-game winning streak -- all at home -- and recorded a 5-3 triumph over the Marlins on Thursday thanks to a two-run seventh inning highlighted by an RBI triple from Josh Rutledge. Michael Cuddyer hit a two-run homer for Colorado, which has won seven of 10 overall and looks to match a five-game run at home from May 28-June.
Adam Ottavino allowed one run in three innings of relief to earn the win. Alex White surrendered two runs on three hits and three walks in a four- inning start for Colorado.
"Alex White could have gotten much deeper than he did," Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. "He had a tremendous sinker tonight. There were counts where I thought he would go right back to it and didn't. He threw a little bit more slider."
Jeff Francis draws the start for Tracy's club Friday and is coming off Monday's 9-6 win over Milwaukee in which he gave up three runs in 5 1/3 inning. The left-hander is 4-4 with a 5.99 earned run average in 14 starts this season.
Francis is 2-3 in seven home starts this season and is 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA in three career starts against the Marlins.
Miami opened an 11-game road trip last night and lost for the sixth time in eight tries. Ricky Nolasco did no favors for the Marlins and allowed all five runs and nine hits in eight innings. He struck out seven and walked one.
"You make good pitches all night and you make two mistakes, a couple mistakes, and that's the game," Nolasco said.
Carlos Lee and Giancarlo Stanton both had two hits and an RBI for the Marlins, who will also visit Arizona and Los Angeles on the road swing. The Marlins just went 2-4 on a six-game homestand, going 1-2 against the Dodgers and Phillies.
Toeing the rubber for Miami tonight will be Wade LeBlanc. The left-hander is 1-2 with a 1.45 earned run average in 14 games (3 starts) this season and pitched well in defeat on Sunday against the Dodgers. He allowed only one run in seven innings of a 5-0 loss.
"I'm keeping the team in the game," LeBlanc said afterward. "I'm giving the team a chance to win. I'm not going as deep as I feel like I should, with the pitch counts they're giving me. That falls on me and being efficient and pounding the strike zone and being aggressive."
LeBlanc has made six career starts against Colorado, going 1-3 with a 4.93 ERA.
Miami won two of three meetings with Colorado from May 21-23 in south Florida.
The Marlins are just 30-50 in games played in Denver.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.