Pirates at Rockies
After a slight slump and his first night of rest this season, Andrew McCutchen has come to life for the Pittsburgh Pirates. McCutchen looks to follow up a three-homer performance when the Pirates continue a four-game road series against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday.
Pittsburgh has won seven in a row at Coors Field after Tuesday's 9-4 victory, and the thin air was just what McCutchen needed as the former MVP - who was 4-for-29 in his previous seven games before sitting out the series opener - slugged homers to left, center and right while driving in five runs. He grounded out in the eighth with a chance to become the 17th player in baseball history to hit four home runs in a game, but the damage was done for the Pirates, who have won five of six. The Rockies have dropped six of seven and four in a row, allowing 31 runs during the losing streak. They hope to reverse that trend Wednesday behind former first-round selection Jon Gray, who will be making his second start of the season.
TV: 8:40 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh, Colorado)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates LH Jonathon Niese (3-0, 4.24 ERA) vs. Rockies RH Jon Gray (0-0, 9.00)
Niese is 3-0 for the first time in his nine-year career but was fortunate to get into the win column his last time out after allowing four runs and a season-high 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings at Arizona. The 29-year-old has given up 20 runs and 36 hits - including five home runs - in 22 2/3 innings over four starts at Coors Field. The Rockies may want to make sure that first baseman Mark Reynolds gets a start as he is 8-for-15 with two home runs against Niese.
Gray remains winless in 10 career starts after giving up five runs in five innings of a no-decision against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday in his 2016 debut. He struck out 10 versus Los Angeles and has 50 against 16 walks in 45 2/3 major-league frames. The Oklahoma native was reached for eight runs in nine innings over two starts versus Pittsburgh in 2015 - a loss and a no-decision.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Pirates are hitting .348 during their seven-game Coors Field winning streak.
2. Rockies 3B Nolan Arenado has recorded 14 of his 19 RBIs at home after driving in two Tuesday.
3. Pittsburgh has recorded a double in each of its first 21 games this season.