Rockies at Cubs
The Colorado Rockies on Tuesday play their first game without shortstop Troy Tulowitzki when they visit the Chicago Cubs after the face of the franchise and five-time All-Star was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays late Monday in a stunning move. Colorado received four-time All-Star shortstop Jose Reyes and minor leaguers - including top pitching prospect Miguel Castro - for Tulowitzki and 42-year-old reliever LaTroy Hawkins.
Chicago was no-hit for the first time in nearly 50 years Saturday and was hitless through three innings Monday before erupting for six runs in the fourth en route to a 9-8 victory on rookie Kris Bryant's first walk-off homer. Bryant’s blast off John Axford gave the Cubs double-digit hits for only the fourth time in their last 26 games and their highest run total since a 17-0 win at Cleveland on June 17. The Rockies are 3-6 since the All-Star break and dropped to 18-28 away from home as they began a seven-game road trip. Bryant’s game-winner overshadowed another huge night by Colorado’s Carlos Gonzalez, who was 4-for-5 with a pair of two-run homers - giving him six blasts in his last four contests - and soon could follow Tulowitzki out of town.
TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, ROOT (Colorado), CSN Plus Chicago
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies LH Yohan Flande (0-1, 4.24 ERA) vs. Cubs RH Dallas Beeler (0-0, 6.43)
Flande will make his 24th big-league appearance and 11th start but still is in search of his first win. The 29-year-old Dominican went 0-6 in 16 games (10 starts) a year ago but has worked exclusively out of the bullpen at the major-league level this season. Flande has made two starts and a relief appearance against the Cubs, going 0-2 with a 3.77 ERA.
Beeler will get another crack at the fifth spot in the rotation while waiting to see if the Cubs will acquire a more accomplished starter before the non-waiver trade deadline. The 26-year-old is making his fifth career start and third this season. He is coming off a rough outing on Wednesday, when he allowed five runs (three earned) in two innings at Cincinnati.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cubs SS Starlin Castro went 2-for-4 with two RBIs on Monday for his first multi-hit performance since July 2.
2. Gonzalez is 11-for-17 with 12 RBIs over his last four games and has recorded five multi-hit efforts in his last six contests.
3. The Cubs have posted 10 walk-off wins in 2015, most in the majors, and are 22-17 in one-run games.