Cardinals at Rockies
Back-to-back shutouts have been recorded at Coors Field, with each team posting one. The St. Louis Cardinals and host Colorado Rockies look to settle the score when they meet for the rubber match of the three-game series on Sunday.
Colorado rolled to a 10-0 victory in the opener of the set, but St. Louis countered on Saturday with a 3-0 triumph behind a strong performance by Adam Wainwright, who combined with two relievers on a four-hitter to win his fifth straight decision. Tommy Pham went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and Yadier Molina delivered an RBI single to extend his hitting streak to a career high-tying 16 games. The veteran Molina, who also had a 16-game run last year from July 8-Aug. 2, is three games shy of matching the record for the longest hitting streak by a Cardinals catcher set in 1973 by Ted Simmons - who duplicated the feat two years later. Colorado's Charlie Blackmon went 0-for-4 on Saturday, ending his hitting streak at nine games.
TV: 3:10 p.m. ET, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), ROOT (Colorado)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Lance Lynn (4-2, 2.53 ERA) vs. Rockies RH German Marquez (3-2, 3.86)
Lynn's winless streak reached three starts Tuesday as he settled for a no-decision against the Dodgers in Los Angeles despite allowing just one run and two hits with 10 strikeouts in eight innings. The 30-year-old native of Indiana has yielded more than two earned runs only twice in nine turns this season and once in his last seven, working six or more frames in the other six outings during that span. Lynn has made five career starts against Colorado, going 2-1 with a 2.30 ERA.
After being battered for eight runs by Washington in his season debut, Marquez has allowed more than one just once in five outings - winning three of them. One of those took place on Tuesday, when the 22-year-old Venezuelan gave up one run over six innings of a victory at Philadelphia. Marquez was equally effective in his only career start against St. Louis, a five-inning effort on Sept. 21 in which he yielded one run and four hits over five frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. Rockies LF Ian Desmond recorded two of the team's four hits on Saturday and is riding a five-game hitting streak.
2. St. Louis designated Miguel Socolovich for assignment and purchased the contract of fellow RHP John Brebbia from Triple-A Memphis.
3. Cardinals CF Dexter Fowler scored two of the club's runs Saturday and is 4-for-12 over his last three contests.