Anderson hopes to continue breakout campaign versus Rockies
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(SportsNetwork.com) - If nothing else, at least there's Chase Anderson.
Though his Arizona teammates have been playing out the string for much of the season, the rookie right-hander will try to continue a personal breakout performance on Friday night when the Diamondbacks host the Colorado Rockies to open a three-game series at Chase Field.
Arizona has won four straight games between the teams, who are worst and second-worst in the National League and, barring remarkable turnarounds, headed straight toward sub-.500 seasons.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Diamondbacks haven't been below break-even since 2010, when they won just 65 games. A loss Thursday to Kansas City, however, was their fifth in six games on a 10-game homestand.
Anderson is unbeaten in his last four starts, however, and allowed just five hits and a single run in six innings Saturday against Pittsburgh, though Arizona lost the game, 8-3.
"He pitched great," manager Kirk Gibson said. "He's throwing the ball really good. He's kind of getting into a groove. He's on a pretty good roll right now."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}His lone meeting with the Rockies came June 3 in Colorado and ended with a 4-2 victory. The visitors enter the series with just two wins in 11 games.
They scored 13 runs Wednesday against the Chicago Cubs in a win, but had just two on Thursday.
"We couldn't get the clutch hit. We couldn't get the big inning," manager Walt Weiss said. "We had a couple of opportunities. Just couldn't get it done."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}On the road, they have just two wins in their last 20 games while the offense has managed just 2.8 runs per game with a .228 batting average. The starting pitchers haven't been much better, allowing a 5.71 earned run average in the same 20-game stretch.
Rookie lefty Tyler Matzek was ripped for 10 hits and eight runs in four-plus innings at Detroit on Saturday and returns for the first time since.
He's 0-2 with a 5.93 ERA in five road starts, but has never faced Arizona.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Rockies have won two of three at Chase Field this season, but won just twice in 10 games there last year.