(SportsNetwork.com) - Jhoulys Chacin has received very little run support this season. That might not change given how the Colorado Rockies have performed at times during this horrendous nine-game road trip that concludes on Sunday against the Cleveland Indians.
The Rockies, who are 2-6 on the trek, will aim to avoid a three-game sweep and a fourth consecutive loss when they play at Progressive Field this afternoon.
Chacin has yet to win in five starts this season and hasn't won on the road since Aug. 23, 2013 at Miami. The righty is coming off a 9-0 loss at Philadelphia Monday when he allowed seven hits and four runs over five-plus innings. He hasn't received a single run of support in either of his last two starts and just four total runs in his five appearances.
Chacin's only other start against the Indians came June 21, 2011 when he gave up only one run on two hits over 6 2/3 innings of a no-decision.
Josh Tomlin counters for the Indians. The righty makes just his fifth start of the season and is coming off a Monday road defeat against the White Sox. He earned the victory in his only career start versus Colorado on June 22, 2011 at Progressive Field and has compiled a 4-1 mark with a 3.22 ERA in seven career interleague starts.
Yesterday, Mike Aviles' third hit and fourth RBI of the game, a single in the bottom of the eighth inning, provided the difference in the Indians' 7-6 win.
Pinch-hitter Jason Kipnis drew a leadoff walk against Rex Brothers (2-3) in Cleveland's half of the eighth and was pushed to second on a sacrifice before Aviles' flare to short right field dropped in to snap a 6-6 tie.
"There was a lefty on the mound and a lefty on deck, so I figured he probably wasn't going to give me anything over the heart of the plate to hit," said Aviles. "So I was just trying to be patient, which is definitely not my style. I was just trying to get something to hit."
Aviles slugged a three-run homer off Rockies starter Franklin Morales earlier in the game, while Lonnie Chisenhall added a two-run shot and an RBI single to the Indians' fifth consecutive home victory.
Trevor Bauer struck out eight while holding Colorado to two runs over the first six innings. He departed with a four-run lead that vanished on homers by Corey Dickerson and Charlie Blackmon off the Cleveland bullpen in the seventh.
"I knew Bauer had good stuff and was going to throw all of it at us," said Rockies manager Walt Weiss. "He did a good job but the guys kept fighting."
Bryan Shaw (2-1) picked up the win by retiring all five batters he faced.
Blackmon went 2-for-4 with four RBI, while D.J. LeMahieu finished with three hits and two runs scored for Colorado.
Morales lasted 5 1/3 innings, surrendering six runs on eight hits.
Cleveland is 8-3 all-time at home against Colorado.
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