Rockies at Rangers
The Colorado Rockies are sliding backward in the National League West but they face an opponent in even more dire straits when they visit the Texas Rangers on Friday night for the opener of a three-game series. Colorado has dropped 10 of its last 13 games and will be looking to avoid falling three games below .500 for the first time this season.
Pitching continues to be a nightmare for the Rockies, who have been ravaged for at least seven runs nine times during the 3-10 slump. Shortstop Trevor Story had a run-scoring double in Thursday's 9-3 loss at Philadelphia to extend his hitting streak to eight games and become the first player in the NL to reach 50 RBIs. The Rangers have lost six in a row, following a four-game sweep at home against Houston by dropping a two-game interleague series at the Los Angeles Dodgers. Adrian Beltre is 8-for-11 over the last three games for Texas, which takes a 13-23 home record into Friday night's matchup.
TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Colorado), FS Southwest (Texas)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Chad Bettis (4-1, 4.40 ERA) vs. Rangers LH Yohander Méndez (0-0, 0.00)
Bettis has registered six consecutive no-decisions and has been fortunate to avoid a few losses, allowing at least five runs on four occasions during that stretch, including in each of his last three starts. He lasted a season-low four innings versus Arizona on Saturday, giving up five runs and serving up three homers. Bettis is 4-1 with a 2.03 ERA in seven road starts as opposed to a 7.76 ERA at Coors Field.
Méndez had made 10 appearances over three seasons, including one with Texas this year, but he will be making his first major league start against the Rockies. The 23-year-old Venezuelan allowed one hit in two-thirds of an inning on May 12 at Houston, but didn't fare well as a starter at Triple-A Round Rock this season, posting an 0-6 record with a 5.26 ERA. Mendez allowed 10 homers in 51 1/3 innings at Round Rock.
WALK-OFFS
1. Story is batting .218 on the road as opposed to .343 at home despite going 6-for-13 versus the Phillies this week.
2. Beltre (3,092) has moved past Ichiro Suzuki (3,089) for the most career hits by a non-U.S. native.
3. Rockies 2B DJ LeMahieu and OF Charlie Blackmon each had six-game hitting streaks halted Thursday.