Colorado @ Pittsburgh preview
PNC Park
Last Meeting ( Aug 6, 2010 ) Colorado 6, Pittsburgh 3
Don't be surprised if Pittsburgh left-hander Ross Ohlendorf cringes when Troy Tulowitzki steps to the plate Saturday night in the third of a four-game series between the Pirates and Colorado Rockies.
Ohlendorf has plenty of reasons to be wary of Tulowitzki, who has three hits in seven at-bats - including a pair of home runs - in his career against the Pirates southpaw.
But as much as the two round-trippers may have hurt Ohlendorf, it's the one hit by the Rockies' shortstop that didn't leave that park that has left a painful and indelible mark on the Pittsburgh hurler.
When the teams met in Denver on July 28, Ohlendorf's night ended after facing just four batters, courtesy of Tulowitzki.
A first-inning line drive by Tulowitzki careened off the side of Ohlendorf's face, knocking the pitcher out of the game with a contusion and abrasion.
To add insult to the injury, the ball dropped into right field for an RBI single. Ohlendorf was removed from the game and sent to the hospital, but he was back in the dugout before the end of the contest.
Ohlendorf, who will turn 28 on Sunday, made his next start against the Cincinnati Reds last Monday, falling to 1-9 after yielding three runs on five hits in five innings in a 4-0 loss.
He'll again have to deal with Tulowitzki, who has been on a tear starting with that last encounter. In the last nine games, Tulowitzki is batting .444 (16-for-36) with 10 RBIs.
He had his third consecutive three-hit night in the Rockies' 6-3 win on Friday night, driving in the go-ahead run with an RBI single and hiking his average to .320.
Tulowitzki isn’t the only red-hot Colorado player. Left fielder Carlos Gonzalez homered and had three hits in Friday’s game to boost his average to .320 as well.
Gonzalez has had six multi-hit games in his last nine, during which he is batting .474 (18-for-38) with seven homers and 11 RBIs.
Clint Barmes added three hits and Dexter Fowler doubled and tripled for Colorado, which collected 15 hits in snapping a seven-game road losing streak.
Starting for the Rockies on Saturday will be left-hander Jorge De La Rosa, who earned his first victory since April 25 in his last outing.
De La Rosa (4-3) has made five starts - going 1-2 - after spending 2 1/2 months on the disabled list with a torn tendon in his left middle finger. He allowed three runs on eight hits in 6 2/3 innings to get the win vs. the Chicago Cubs last Sunday.
The Pirates had just five hits Friday night, with all its offense coming on a three-run homer by rookie Pedro Alvarez.