Rockies to enjoy breakthrough vs. Pirates?
Colorado’s brutal road trip still has a long way to go, but a victory in this afternoon’s rubber contest against Pittsburgh would do a lot to ease the sting of being away from that crazy altitude.
The two squads collide at 1:35 p.m. ET in the Steel City, with handicappers clearly backing the host club. Online sports book BetDSI lists Clint Hurdle’s crew as a 1.5-run favorite. The Rockies, meanwhile, enter PNC Park as +130 underdogs.
Thanks to yesterday afternoon’s 5-1 triumph, the visitors could claim their first series win vs. the Pirates (23-19) since 2014. Chad Bettis (4-2, 4.18 ERA), however, must set the tone on the mound. The righty was strong in his most recent showing, limiting the Cardinals to one run across 6 2/3 innings. Bettis owns a 3.86 ERA in three previous meetings with the Buccos.
The man toeing the rubber for Hurdle will be extremely familiar to Walt Weiss’ hitters. Juan Nicasio (4-3, 4.46), who spent four years in Denver, shoots to end a rocky three-start stretch. After a splendid beginning to his Pittsburgh career, he holds a 6.46 ERA in May.
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No matter what, though, Nicasio needs offensive support. That area obviously fell short about 14 hours ago. Perhaps Andrew McCutchen can muster a Herculean effort along the lines of what we saw on April 26, when he victimized Colorado for three bombs and five RBIs. It’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility, but the Rockies (21-21) also want to reach Fenway Park tomorrow on a positive note. They already pushed St. Louis a few nights ago, and a growing sense of confidence away from Coors Field should ensure a competitive finale here.
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