VENUE: Coors Field
The Colorado Rockies finally ended their longest skid in two years with an impressive offensive display. The team knows it's going to need several more of those to get back in the thick of the playoff race.
The Rockies look to win back-to-back games for the first time in three weeks when they open a home series against the Chicago Cubs on Friday night.
After being outscored 43-17 during an eight-game slide, the franchise's longest since June 22-30, 2008, Colorado (52-50) pounded out 15 hits to defeat Pittsburgh 9-3 on Thursday. It was an encouraging performance for a Rockies team that plated two runs or fewer six times during its longing streak.
"This has never been a team to give up," second baseman Clint Barmes said. "We feel we can win every day."
Colorado's going to need to start winning with more regularity to make a playoff run.
The Rockies, who haven't notched consecutive victories since a season-best six-game winning streak July 4-10, are 5 1/2 games behind wild card-leading San Francisco. They led the wild-card race at the end of their win streak.
"We know where we stand, and we know what we have to do," manager Jim Tracy said. "We have two months and two days of baseball to be played. We have to get very, very busy. Just being OK won't be good enough. We have to be a lot better than that."
Sustained production from the top of the order would certainly be a big lift.
Leadoff hitter Dexter Fowler was 3 for 5 with two RBIs and two runs Thursday, while Barmes, the No. 2 hitter, had two hits and drove in three runs. Fowler had been 3 for 43 with an RBI and four runs in his previous 16 games, and Barmes was 1 for 18 in his previous six.
They'll try and keep it going against Chicago (46-56), which arrives in Colorado after dropping two of three in Houston.
Carlos Zambrano, who has been on the restricted list and pitching for Triple-A Iowa, is expected to address the team before the opener and apologize for his famous dugout tirade more than a month ago.
Derrek Lee, who was in the middle of that argument, made news Wednesday by rejecting a trade to the Angels. The Cubs first baseman is 7 for 9 with a solo homer and 3 walks lifetime against Jeff Francis, Colorado's scheduled starter.
Francis (3-3, 4.56 ERA) allowed two runs in five innings at Philadelphia on Sunday, not receiving a decision in Colorado's 4-3 loss.
The left-hander, who has a 2.65 ERA in his last three starts, hasn't had much luck against the Cubs, recording an 8.77 ERA in five career starts without a decision. He hasn't faced them since 2008.
Manager Lou Piniella rested Lee, Marlon Byrd and Alfonso Soriano in the Cubs' 8-1 loss to the Astros on Wednesday, while Geovany Soto sat out his second straight game with a bruised left foot. Piniella said Soto, batting .297 with five homers and 11 RBIs in 11 games since the All-Star break, should be ready to catch Ryan Dempster (8-7, 3.71) to open this series.
Dempster has yielded three runs or fewer in eight of his last 10 starts. He gave up three in seven innings of Sunday's 4-3, 11-inning loss to St. Louis.
The right-hander has won both of his starts against the Rockies since entering Chicago's rotation in 2008.
