VENUE: Minute Maid Park
Alex White couldn't stop Colorado's losing ways. Now, the Rockies will look to 22-year-old Drew Pomeranz to help them avoid their first nine-game losing streak in more than six years.
Colorado continues its four-game set with the Houston Astros on Friday night.
After closing their home schedule with seven straight losses, the Rockies fell 9-6 in Thursday's series opener at Minute Maid Park. The eight-game skid is Colorado's longest since dropping 10 straight April 24-May 7, 2005.
White struggled Thursday, allowing five runs and six hits in 4 2-3 innings. He also hit two batters and threw two wild pitches.
"The additional base runners we gave them (Thursday) with them not even having to go up and hit the ball, that kind of stuff is going to get you beat," Rockies manager Jim Tracy said.
Tracy, though, has been impressed so far by Pomeranz (1-0, 1.69 ERA).
White and Pomeranz were among four players Colorado (70-86) acquired at the July trade deadline from Cleveland for former 19-game winner Ubaldo Jimenez. While White has an 8.63 ERA with his new club, Pomeranz - the fifth overall pick by the Indians in the 2010 draft - has been very sharp in his first two big-league starts.
After winning his debut Sept. 11 by allowing two hits over five scoreless innings against the Reds, Pomeranz didn't get a decision in last Saturday's 6-5 loss to San Francisco. He surrendered two runs and four hits with five strikeouts in 5 2-3 innings.
"I think the word that would apply to what I've seen in two starts is efficiency," Tracy said. "After what we saw last (Sept. 11) against Cincinnati and to walk out there and pitch in the manner in which he did ... you have to feel awfully good about what you saw (Saturday)."
Pomeranz will try to slow down Carlos Lee, who had a season high-tying four RBIs for Houston (54-102) on Thursday and reached 90 for the ninth time in his 13-year career.
"That's something I take a lot of pride in in my career is driving in runs," said Lee, who's knocked in six in four games versus Colorado this year.
The Astros are 24-8 at home against the Rockies since the start of the 2001 season, and will turn to Brett Myers (6-13, 4.39) to continue that dominance.
The right-hander is 3-0 with a 1.16 ERA in September after holding the Chicago Cubs to two runs - one earned - in 7 2-3 innings of the Astros' 3-2 win Sunday.
Myers had been 7-0 in eight career games against Colorado before a 9-5 loss Aug. 22 at Coors Field. He was tagged for a season-high seven runs in five innings.
Myers has never faced the Rockies in Houston.
