GAME: Colorado Rockies (58-42) at St. Louis Cardinals (47-51)
DATE/TIME: Monday, July 24 - 8:08 PM EST
WHERE: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A
The Colorado Rockies have stormed to the top of the National League wild-card standings thanks to an oustanding homestand and hope to maintain the spot when they begin a six-game road trip Monday with the opener of a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Colorado finished a 5-1 stretch at Coors Field with Sunday's 13-3 rout of Pittsburgh and is one game ahead of Arizona for the first wild card.
Charlie Blackmon hasn't let a bump in the road deter him at the plate as he's gone 5-for-10 with his team-leading 24th homer, four runs scored and two RBIs over two contests after having his 14-game hitting streak halted Friday. Nolan Arenado also has been red-hot for the Rockies, going 11-for-19 while belting four homers and driving in 13 runs during his current four-game hitting streak as he leads the majors with 86 RBIs while being held without a hit in only four of his last 30 contests. St. Louis returns home after opening the second half of the season with a 4-6 road trip that concluded with Sunday's 5-3 loss to the NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs. The Cardinals are 4 1/2 games back of Chicago and Milwaukee in the division - and four under .500 - after suffering their fourth setback in five contests.
TV: 8:08 p.m. ET, ESPN, AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountain (Colorado), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Antonio Senzatela (10-3, 4.67 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Mike Leake (6-8, 3.39)
Senzatela's return to the rotation Tuesday was a victorious one despite the fact he yielded four runs - three earned - on four hits and three walks in five innings against San Diego. The 22-year-old Venezuelan rookie made three relief appearances prior to that outing in order to help keep his innings count at a reasonable amount. Senzatela won his first career start versus St. Louis on May 26, when he scattered five hits over eight scoreless frames.
Leake has won only one of his last 10 starts as he deals with what he described as overall body weakness. The 29-year-old Californian has lost two of his last three turns, (0-2), surrendering 15 runs - seven earned - and 20 hits over 5 2/3 innings in the setbacks. Leake has been hit hard in four career starts against Colorado and owns a 1-2 record and 7.52 ERA after giving up 17 runs and 37 hits in 20 1/3 frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. Rockies OF Gerardo Parra has missed two straight games with a bruised right calf and is day-to-day.
2. St. Louis OF Tommy Pham has gone 0-for-7 over his last two contests after hitting safely in nine of his previous 10 games - a stretch during which he recorded six multi-hit performances.
3. Cardinals 1B Matt Carpenter exited Sunday's contest in the second inning with tightness in his right quadriceps and could miss the series opener.
PREDICTION: Rockies 7, Cardinals 4
DATE/TIME: Monday, July 24 - 8:08 PM EST
WHERE: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A
The Colorado Rockies have stormed to the top of the National League wild-card standings thanks to an oustanding homestand and hope to maintain the spot when they begin a six-game road trip Monday with the opener of a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Colorado finished a 5-1 stretch at Coors Field with Sunday's 13-3 rout of Pittsburgh and is one game ahead of Arizona for the first wild card.
Charlie Blackmon hasn't let a bump in the road deter him at the plate as he's gone 5-for-10 with his team-leading 24th homer, four runs scored and two RBIs over two contests after having his 14-game hitting streak halted Friday. Nolan Arenado also has been red-hot for the Rockies, going 11-for-19 while belting four homers and driving in 13 runs during his current four-game hitting streak as he leads the majors with 86 RBIs while being held without a hit in only four of his last 30 contests. St. Louis returns home after opening the second half of the season with a 4-6 road trip that concluded with Sunday's 5-3 loss to the NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs. The Cardinals are 4 1/2 games back of Chicago and Milwaukee in the division - and four under .500 - after suffering their fourth setback in five contests.
TV: 8:08 p.m. ET, ESPN, AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountain (Colorado), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Antonio Senzatela (10-3, 4.67 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Mike Leake (6-8, 3.39)
Senzatela's return to the rotation Tuesday was a victorious one despite the fact he yielded four runs - three earned - on four hits and three walks in five innings against San Diego. The 22-year-old Venezuelan rookie made three relief appearances prior to that outing in order to help keep his innings count at a reasonable amount. Senzatela won his first career start versus St. Louis on May 26, when he scattered five hits over eight scoreless frames.
Leake has won only one of his last 10 starts as he deals with what he described as overall body weakness. The 29-year-old Californian has lost two of his last three turns, (0-2), surrendering 15 runs - seven earned - and 20 hits over 5 2/3 innings in the setbacks. Leake has been hit hard in four career starts against Colorado and owns a 1-2 record and 7.52 ERA after giving up 17 runs and 37 hits in 20 1/3 frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. Rockies OF Gerardo Parra has missed two straight games with a bruised right calf and is day-to-day.
2. St. Louis OF Tommy Pham has gone 0-for-7 over his last two contests after hitting safely in nine of his previous 10 games - a stretch during which he recorded six multi-hit performances.
3. Cardinals 1B Matt Carpenter exited Sunday's contest in the second inning with tightness in his right quadriceps and could miss the series opener.
PREDICTION: Rockies 7, Cardinals 4