Rockies at Cardinals
Marcell Ozuna has found his home run swing after an 11-game drought and looks to go deep for the third straight day in the series when the St. Louis Cardinals host the Colorado Rockies on Saturday night. Ozuna, who is 7-for-14 in his last four games, launched a two-run homer in Friday’s 8-3 triumph as the Cardinals moved into first place by a half-game over the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central.
St. Louis has won 11 of its last 14 contests and scored 14 times in the first two games of the series after pounding out 13 hits Friday, including a pair from rookie Tommy Edman as he recorded at least two for the fourth time in his past seven outings. First-year starting pitcher Dakota Hudson looks to extend his scoreless streak, which has reached 12 innings, when he takes the mound for the Cardinals on Saturday and Colorado counters with fellow right-hander Chi Chi Gonzalez. The Rockies were held off the scoreboard until the ninth inning Friday and managed just five hits overall - none for extra bases - while falling to 1-4 on their seven-game road trip. All-Star Nolan Arenado had two of the hits and added a walk Friday for Colorado, improving to 8-for-21 with four homers and eight RBIs during his five-game hitting streak.
TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Colorado), FS Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Chi Chi Gonzalez (0-4, 5.87 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Dakota Hudson (12-6, 3.63)
Gonzalez comes in off his best performance in the majors this season when he limited Arizona to two runs on three hits across six innings in a no-decision. The 27-year-old Oral Roberts University product served five homers in his last four outings and has struggled with control, walking 15 over 30 2/3 innings with 18 strikeouts. Gonzalez faces St. Louis for the first time in his career and has not won in the majors since Sept. 22, 2015 while with Texas.
Hudson did not allow a hit over 6 2/3 innings last time out against Milwaukee to earn the win, but was pulled after throwing 111 pitchers and walking four batters. The 24-year-old Mississippi State product completed six scoreless innings to win at Kansas City in his previous start and has won six of his last eight decisions. Arenado has a double against Hudson, who took the loss while giving up three runs in one-third of an inning versus Colorado last August.
WALK-OFFS
1. Colorado SS Trevor Story, who was rested Friday, is 28-for-74 with six homers and seven doubles in August.
2. St. Louis C Yadier Molina, who had three hits Friday, needs two RBIs to reach 900 in his career and three walks for 500.
3. Rockies OF Raimel Tapia has hit safely in 16 of his last 17 games, including the last seven in which he is 9-for-29.