Marlins at Rockies
Red-hot Nolan Arenado should be well rested as the Colorado Rockies prepare to host the Miami Marlins on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series. Colorado is on a three-game winning streak thanks to the torrid bat of Arenado, who had been slumping before he homered in each of the victories while collecting nine RBIs and scoring five runs.
"When you're losing and you're not getting hits it hurts. It keeps me up at night," said Arenado, who belted a three-run homer and added a two-run double in Wednesday's 6-4 victory over the New York Mets. Colorado scored only two runs in losing two of three at Miami in late April but the Rockies piled up 26 runs in taking the final three of a four-game set versus the Mets. The Marlins, who are 3-3 entering the final leg of the nine-game road trip after dropping the final two at San Francisco, will be without manager Don Mattingly after he was suspended one game for a beanball incident Tuesday in San Francisco. Shortstop Miguel Rojas is 7-for-12 with four RBIs and four runs scored during a four-game hitting streak for Miami.
TV: 8:40 p.m. ET, FS Florida (Miami), AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Colorado)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins LH Wei-Yin Chen (2-3, 5.91 ERA) vs. Rockies RH Jon Gray (6-7, 5.89)
Chen turned in his second quality start of 2018 last time out at Baltimore, giving up three runs on eight hits over six innings to pick up his first win since his season debut versus Colorado on April 28. He limited the Rockies to one run and four hits over 5 1/3 innings in that outing but failed to pitch beyond 4 1/3 innings in six of his next eight turns. Chen is 1-1 with a 7.07 ERA versus Colorado.
Gray has piled up 19 strikeouts over his last two starts at Texas and Philadelphia but went 0-1 in them, giving up a three-run homer in each while allowing a combined 10 runs in 11 innings. Since surrendering one run during a three-start winning streak, he has permitted at least four runs in six of his last seven turns. Derek Dietrich has been a nemesis for Gray with five hits in 10 at-bats.
WALK-OFFS
1. Arenado homered in a franchise-record six consecutive games in September 2015.
2. Marlins RHP Dan Straily is appealing a five-game suspension for intentionally throwing at San Francisco's Buster Posey.
3. Rockies LF Gerardo Parra is 7-for-15 with eight RBIs in his last four contests.