Pirates at Rockies
The red-hot Pittsburgh Pirates surged into contention in the National League Central with a four-game sweep of the first-place Milwaukee Brewers and hope to keep the momentum going when they start a nine-game road trip with three against the Colorado Rockies beginning Friday. Pittsburgh was eight games behind Milwaukee when it woke up Sunday morning but finds itself only three back after Thursday's 4-2 victory moved it to 48-48.
"I think it's another mile marker on the way. You've got to play better than .500. Nobody's won a division playing under .500," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle told reporters. "There will be no catching our breath or, 'Ah, we've made it.' We haven't made it. We're heading in the right direction. We're hunting the good stuff. We're playing better baseball." Colorado (56-41) endured a 5-15 stretch before righting the ship by scoring 49 runs during a four-game winning streak, including a three-game sweep of the San Diego Padres this week. The Rockies share the NL wild card lead with the Arizona Diamondbacks and are 5 1/2 games ahead of the Chicago Cubs and 7 1/2 in front of Pittsburgh. Colorado's Jeff Hoffman starts on regular rest while taking the spot of the injured Tyler Chatwood (calf) in the rotation and opposes Trevor Williams, who has only one decision - a loss - in his last seven starts.
TV: 8:40 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet-Pittsburgh, AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountain (Colorado)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Trevor Williams (3-4, 4.69 ERA) vs. Rockies RH Jeff Hoffman (6-1, 4.33)
Williams received a no-decision after allowing two runs, 10 hits and two walks while striking out five in 5 2/3 innings of Pittsburgh's 4-3 victory over St. Louis on Sunday. The 25-year-old Californian, who began 2017 in the bullpen, is 2-3 with a 4.43 ERA in 13 starts this season. Williams has never faced Colorado or any of its players.
Hoffman yielded four runs, seven hits and one walk while striking out three in six innings of a 13-4 victory over the Mets in New York on Sunday in a homecoming of sorts for the Latham, N.Y., native. The 24-year-old, acquired from Toronto in the 2015 Troy Tulowitzki trade, is 2-1 with a 6.44 ERA in six games (five starts) at home compared to a 2.45 ERA in five road turns. Hoffman has never faced Pittsburgh or any of its players.
WALK-OFFS
1. Rockies 3B Nolan Arenado (.309, 21 home runs) leads the majors with 80 RBIs after tying a career high with seven Wednesday while setting career bests with three home runs and five hits.
2. Pittsburgh is an NL Central-best 34-26 since May 13.
3. Colorado CF Charlie Blackmon (.329, 23 home runs, 67 RBIs) boasts a career-high 14-game hitting streak, batting .431 during that span while belting three home runs in his last four contests.