Angels at Rockies
After ending April with three straight losses, the Colorado Rockies have been unbeatable thus far in May. Colorado looks to extend its month-opening winning streak to seven games when it hosts the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday afternoon for the finale of their two-game interleague series.
The Rockies finished their 6-3 road trip with five consecutive victories before returning home to post a 4-2 win over the Angels on Tuesday. DJ LeMahieu returned from a stint on the disabled list due to a strained right hamstring and recorded an RBI single while Trevor Story doubled, tripled and drove in two runs for Colorado, which hopes to stretch its franchise-record streak to 10 straight quality starts behind Tyler Anderson on Wednesday. Los Angeles managed only six hits and was kept off the scoreboard for the first seven innings as it dropped to 2-2 on its five-game road trip. Justin Upton notched two of those hits, including a two-run homer in the eighth that gave him three blasts and 10 RBIs in seven games this month.
TV: 3:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FS West (Los Angeles), AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Colorado)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Jaime Barria (2-1, 3.46 ERA) vs. Rockies LH Tyler Anderson (2-0, 3.78)
Barria bounced back from a difficult outing to defeat Baltimore on Thursday as he allowed two runs and four hits over six innings in his third major-league start. The 21-year-old Panamanian rookie lasted only two-plus frames against San Francisco in his previous turn, throwing 77 pitches while yielding two runs and five hits. Barria also has made three starts for Triple-A Salt Lake but did not record a decision while posting a 2.92 ERA.
Anderson has registered only two decisions in seven starts this season, but both are victories - including one against the Cubs in Chicago last Wednesday. The 28-year-old native of Las Vegas recorded a season-high nine strikeouts while giving up only two runs and three hits over seven innings. Anderson will be facing Los Angeles for the first time but is 1-2 in four career interleague starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Angels RHP Kenyan Middleton (elbow) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Salt Lake on Tuesday and started against Sacramento, walking two and striking out two while throwing 19 pitches in one inning.
2. Colorado optioned INF Pat Valaika to Triple-A Albuquerque to make room on the roster for LeMahieu.
3. Los Angeles OF Kole Calhoun, who is hitting just .165, was kept out of the starting lineup for a third straight game Tuesday in order to work on his swing but appeared as a pinch hitter and hit into a double play.