Rockies at Nationals
The Colorado Rockies signaled their intention to stay in the thick of the National League playoff race by acquiring coveted reliever Pat Neshek from the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday, now they just need to start winning again. The Rockies will try to snap a three-game slide when they visit the Washington Nationals on Friday for the opener of a three-game series.
Colorado is 58-45 and remains in line for an NL wild card spot but is just 6-6 since the All-Star break after beginning the six-game road trip by dropping three straight at the St. Louis Cardinals while yielding 21 runs. "We didn't pitch well two of the three games," Rockies manager Bud Black told reporters. "When your starter in Game 1 (Antonio Senzatela) and Game 3 (Jeff Hoffman) only go four innings and give up a number of runs, it makes it awful tough." Trying to end that stretch of poor starts on Friday will be German Marquez, who opposes Nationals fellow right-hander Tanner Roark. Poor pitching is what Washington's lineup feeds on, and Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman hit two homers apiece as part of an eight-homer barrage in Thursday's 15-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, ATT SportsNet-Rocky Mountain (Colorado), MASN (Washington)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH German Marquez (8-4, 4.20 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Tanner Roark (8-6, 4.83)
Marquez is enjoying a string of three straight wins and struck out nine in each of his last two outings. The Venezuela native held Pittsburgh to two runs on three hits and two walks over seven innings on Saturday - the seventh time in his last eight outings that he held an opponent to three or fewer runs. Marquez made his season debut against Washington on April 25 and did not fare well, surrendering eight runs and nine hits in four innings to suffer the loss.
Roark went winless in his last six starts before the All-Star break but is 2-0 since and struck out a season-high 11 while allowing two runs and three hits in seven innings at Arizona on Saturday. The 30-year-old did not allow an earned run in six innings at Cincinnati on July 16 and yielded a total of seven hits in 13 innings since the break. Roark earned a win at Colorado on April 26, when he allowed two runs on five hits and four walks in five innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Rockies RHP Greg Holland is on paternity leave but is expected to return during the series.
2. Washington placed RHP Stephen Strasburg (elbow) on the 10-day disabled list Thursday and will recall RHP Erick Fedde to make his major-league debut on Saturday.
3. Colorado OF/1B Ian Desmond (calf) was limited to pinch-hitting duty in St. Louis and is day-to-day.