Rockies at Pirates
The Colorado Rockies have been rolling on their seven-game road trip and look to continue the trend when they visit the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday for the middle contest of their three-game series. Colorado took three of four in Washington before opening the set on Monday with a 6-2 triumph.
Trevor Story went 2-for-3 with a three-run homer while Charlie Blackmon also went deep and drove in two runs as the Rockies improved to 8-2 on the road since losing their first two games of the season in Arizona. Blackmon has gone deep in three straight contests, collecting seven RBIs in that span. Pittsburgh was limited to four hits as it returned home from a 4-2 road trip, and two of those hits were triples - including the second in four contests by Francisco Cervelli, who has gone 10-for-21 during his six-game hitting streak. Starling Marte added his third triple of the year, eclipsing his total in 77 games last season, while Corey Dickerson singled to extend his hitting streak to 11 contests (19-for-44).
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountain (Colorado), AT&T SportsNet-Pittsburgh
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Chad Bettis (2-0, 2.04 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Trevor Williams (3-0, 1.56)
Bettis has been superb in the early going, allowing fewer than three runs and working at least five innings in each of his first three starts. The 28-year-old Texan is coming off his best effort, a victory at Washington on Thursday in which he gave up one run and three hits over seven frames. Bettis has yet to defeat Pittsburgh in his career, going 0-2 with a 6.26 ERA in four starts and two relief appearances.
As outstanding as Bettis has been, Williams' beginning to 2018 is even more impressive as he has yielded a total of three runs while winning all three of his turns. The 25-year-old Californian worked six strong innings against the Cubs in Chicago on Thursday, allowing four hits - including a solo homer for the only run he surrendered. Williams gave up five runs and seven hits over 6 2/3 innings at Colorado on July 21 but came away with the win in his only career start versus the Rockies.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Pirates recalled Max Moroff from Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday as fellow 2B Josh Harrison (broken left hand) was placed on the 10-day disabled list and is expected to miss six weeks.
2. Each of Blackmon's seven home runs this season have come on the road.
3. Pittsburgh activated LHP Enny Romero, who was claimed off waivers from Washington on Saturday, and optioned RHP Dovydas Neverauskas to Indianapolis.