Pirates at Rockies
The lack of quality starting pitching has been an ongoing concern for the Colorado Rockies, who will receive another reminder of that when they face a once-promising prospect Thursday afternoon. Juan Nicasio, who spent his first four seasons with Colorado, will take the mound as the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates go for their ninth straight win at Coors Field in the finale of a four-game series.
Nicasio's star-crossed tenure with the Rockies was most memorable for an incident that ended his rookie season in 2011, when he took a line drive off the skull in his 13th major-league start. The Pirates blew a seven-run lead before posting a 9-8 victory in 12 innings Wednesday, their sixth win in the last seven games. Colorado wasted nine extra-base hits, including home runs and three-hit games from Nolan Arenado and Mark Reynolds, as its losing streak reached five games. The Rockies could use a solid outing from Tyler Chatwood after their starters posted a 9.72 ERA in the first six contests of the seven-game homestand and failed to get through four innings in each of the past two nights.
TV: 3:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh, Colorado)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Juan Nicasio (2-2, 4.50 ERA) vs. Rockies RH Tyler Chatwood (2-2, 3.47)
Nicasio is trying to find success again as a starter after pitching out of the bullpen for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2015. The 29-year-old Dominican, who owns a 13-9 record despite a 5.23 ERA at Coors Field, has alternated wins and losses in his four starts for Pittsburgh after giving up two runs on three hits and four walks over five innings of a 7-1 setback at Arizona on Saturday. Control has been a problem for Nicasio, who has walked 11 in 14 innings over his last three turns.
Chatwood has been wildly inconsistent in his four starts, following his best outing of the season by lasting only four innings and allowing three runs on six hits in a 4-1 loss to the Dodgers on Saturday. The 26-year-old Californian was superb in his previous start, limiting the Chicago Cubs to two hits while striking out a season-high seven over seven scoreless frames. He has lost both his starts at Coors Field, surrendering three homers among 17 hits and eight runs in 10 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Rockies SS Trevor Story needs one homer to tie the major league rookie record of 10 in the month of April set by Jose Abreu (2014) of the Chicago White Sox.
2. Pirates RF Gregory Polanco is 12-for-31 with six RBIs and eight runs scored during a seven-game hitting streak.
3. Rockies LHP Jorge De La Rosa (groin strain) was placed on the 15-day disabled list and RHP Eddie Butler was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque.