Rockies at Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are riding their longest winning streak of the season while the visiting Colorado Rockies have matched their longest skid. Buoyed by a pair of stellar pitching performances, the Pirates ran their winning streak to four and can complete a three-game sweep of the Rockies on Wednesday night.
Former National League MVP Andrew McCutchen's batting average was hovering near .200 before he was dropped to sixth in the batting order and he hasn't stopped hitting. McCutchen belted a pair of homers in Tuesday's 5-2 win and is hitting .397 with five blasts and 15 RBIs in the 17 games since his demotion, raising his batting average to .255. Colorado amassed 50 runs during a seven-game winning streak prior to its current skid and has managed only four runs in the two losses in Pittsburgh, going 2-for-18 with runners in scoring position. The Rockies are 3-3 entering the finale of their seven-game road trip and still lead the majors with 24 wins away from home.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, ROOT (Colorado), ROOT (Pittsburgh)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH German Márquez (4-3, 4.44 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Chad Kuhl (1-5, 5.63)
Marquez won his final four starts in May, allowing a combined four runs, but he has dipped in his last two trips to the mound. The 22-year-old Venezuelan was knocked around for six runs in five innings at San Diego on June 2, taking the loss despite recording a season-high nine strikeouts. Marquez threw 80 pitches and lasted only three innings in a no-decision at the Chicago Cubs on Friday.
Kuhl's only win came in his season debut and he has not pitched beyond five innings since April 18, but with his rotation spot in jeopardy he has turned in back-to-back solid efforts in a pair of no-decisions. He allowed two runs and three hits in five innings versus Arizona on May 31 and one run and four hits at Baltimore last time out. Lefty hitters are batting .340 against Kuhl.
WALK-OFFS
1. Rockies RF Carlos Gonalez is hitless in 24 at-bats over his last seven games.
2. McCutchen is 10-for-19 during a five-game hitting streak.
3. Rockies 2B DJ LeMahieu has hit safely in six straight and 10 of 11 games.