Rockies at Marlins
The Miami Marlins can win back-to-back series for the first time this season when they host the Colorado Rockies on Sunday afternoon for the rubber match of a three-game set. Veteran Martin Prado knocked in his first two runs of the year in his second game since returning from knee and hamstring injuries as Miami earned a 4-1 victory on Saturday after dropping a 1-0 decision in the series opener.
J.T. Realmuto and Starlin Castro take seven-game hitting streaks into the series finale for the Marlins, who took the last two of a three-game set at the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier in the week. Caleb Smith goes after his first major-league win when he takes the mound for Miami on Sunday against unbeaten Chad Bettis, who is coming off his worst start of the campaign. The Rockies have managed just 11 hits in the series, including four Saturday, as they wrap up the first leg of a nine-game road trip that takes them to Chicago and New York for two more National League series matchups. Colorado shortstop Trevor Story extended his hitting streak to seven games Saturday as he is 9-for-25 with two homers and 10 RBIs during the run.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet - Rocky Mountain (Colorado), FS Florida (Miami)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Chad Bettis (3-0, 2.40 ERA) vs. Marlins LH Caleb Smith (0-3, 5.82)
Bettis allowed four runs on five hits and two walks over five innings in a no-decision against San Diego on Monday after two straight outstanding performances. The 29-year-old Texas Tech product yielded one run on eight hits across 14 1/3 innings in those two outings to improve to 3-0 with a 1.40 ERA on the road in 2018. Castro is 2-for-7 versus Bettis, who is 1-0 with a 7.71 ERA in two appearances (one start) in his career against the Marlins.
Smith was pushed back a day with the return of Wei-Yin Chen on Saturday and hopes to post back-to-back quality starts after yielding two runs over a career-high six innings last Sunday at Milwaukee. The 26-year-old, acquired from the New York Yankees in the offseason, had allowed 11 runs over 10 1/3 innings in his previous three starts. Smith, who has struck out 32 and walked 15 in 21 2/3 innings overall this season, meets Colorado for the first time.
WALK-OFFS
1. Colorado 2B DJ LeMahieu (hamstring tightness) sat out Saturday and could return for the series finale.
2. Miami designated C Tomas Telis for assignment to make room for Chen on the roster.
3. Rockies 3B Nolan Arenado is 1-for-11 in his last four games after going 9-for-16 with three homers in the previous four.