Blue Jays at Rockies
The Colorado Rockies have been nearly unstoppable thus far on their 10-game homestand, winning seven of the first eight contests. They vie for their seventh consecutive victory Saturday when they host the Toronto Blue Jays in the middle contest of their three-game interleague series.
Colorado's success at home traces back to earlier this month as it won three of the final four contests of an eight-game homestand before embarking on a 3-5 road trip. The Rockies have scored at least six runs on six occasions during their current stretch at Coors Field and reached double digits in each of the last two, including Friday's 13-6 triumph over Toronto. Trevor Story was the offensive hero in the victory, going 3-for-4 with two homers, a career-high seven RBIs and four runs. Rookie Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 3-for-4 with a solo homer Friday for Toronto, which is 0-4 on its six-game road trip and has dropped eight of its last nine overall.
TV: 9:10 p.m. ET, Sportsnet (Toronto), AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Colorado)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Marcus Stroman (3-6, 2.74 ERA) vs. Rockies RH Jon Gray (4-4, 4.52)
Stroman has been doing his best work in the second half of the month this season, allowing one earned run in each of his last three starts in May after giving up a total of one earned run over his final three outings of April. The 28-year-old New Yorker has won each of his last two turns, including an outing against Boston on May 21 in which he issued six walks, after losing three straight decisions. Stroman, who never has faced Colorado, is 1-2 with a 3.47 ERA in four starts on the road this season.
Gray is coming off a no-decision against Arizona on Monday in which he allowed two runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings before exiting with a finger issue. It was just the fourth home start of the year for the 27-year-old Oklahoman, who has yielded five runs over 17 1/3 frames in his last three outings at Coors Field after surrendering the same amount over six innings in his first turn there. Gray won his only career start against the Blue Jays despite yielding four runs over seven innings at home June 27, 2016.
WALK-OFFS
1. Story has gone 10-for-14 with three doubles, a triple and two homers in his last three games.
2. Toronto 2B Cavan Biggio went 2-for-4 on Friday, the second multi-hit performance in his first six career games.
3. Colorado activated LHP Chris Rusin (back) from the 10-day injured list and recalled RHP Jesus Tinoco from Triple-A Albuquerque while optioning LHP Kyle Freeland and OF Yonathan Daza to the Isotopes.