Indians at Rockies
These are heady times for the Colorado Rockies, who are 14 games over .500 with the most wins through 60 games in franchise history. The Rockies look to extend their winning streak to four contests on Wednesday as they conclude their brief two-game series against the visiting Cleveland Indians, who have dropped six of their first seven interleague games.
Mark Reynolds homered twice and matched a career high with five RBIs in Tuesday’s 11-3 win as Colorado moved 1 1/2 games ahead of the second-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West. "The guys had an expectation when we started in spring training about where we could be and what we could do,” Rockies manager Bud Black told reporters. “Right now, we’re realizing it. It’s happening on the field. It’s a good feeling. The guys are digging it. We’re loose. We’re playing hard. We’ve got to continue it. It’s a long season.” The Indians fell to 2-8 all-time at Coors Field with Tuesday's loss but received a spark from Lonnie Chisenhall, who went 2-for-3 with a solo homer in his first game off the disabled list. Rookie Bradley Zimmer also continued to impress with his fourth home run, a two-run opposite-field shot.
TV: 3:10 p.m. ET, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland), ROOT (Colorado)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Trevor Bauer (5-4, 5.83 ERA) vs. Rockies LH Kyle Freeland (6-3, 3.53)
Bauer is starting on two days’ rest after working just 1 2/3 innings on Saturday at Kansas City before a rain delay cut his outing short. The 26-year-old recorded a career-high 14 strikeouts and allowed three runs over seven frames in last Tuesday’s 9-4 win over Oakland. The Southern California native is making his first career start at Coors Field and has struggled in six road outings this season, going 2-3 with a 6.14 ERA.
Freeland hit three batters but recorded his team-leading eighth quality start Thursday at Seattle, where he allowed two runs and six hits with three strikeouts over six frames of a 6-3 victory. The Denver native has pitched well in his hometown, going 2-3 with a 3.94 ERA in five turns. A 24-year-old rookie who was drafted eighth overall by Colorado in 2014, Freeland owns a 19-to-14 strikeout-to-walk ratio over his last five outings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Colorado LF Gerardo Parra exited Tuesday’s game with a right quadriceps strain and is expected to miss at least one month.
2. Chisenhall is 6-for-13 with two home runs and seven RBIs in four career games against the Rockies.
3. The Indians placed RHP Danny Salazar (shoulder) on the 10-day disabled list.