Miami @ Colorado preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 24, 2014 ) Miami 4, Colorado 7

Troy Tulowitzki is getting hot at the plate and dragging the rest of the Colorado Rockies along with him. The Rockies will try to put together back-to-back wins when they host the Miami Marlins in the opener of a three-game series Friday.

Tulowitzki has four homers in the last five games after belting only two in the first 43 contests, and the Rockies are winners of nine of their last 12. Tulowitzki homered and drove in five runs in Wednesday’s 7-6 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers, which earned Colorado a split of the four-game series and a positive start to the 10-game homestand. The Marlins picked up their second straight series win when they took the rubber match of a three-game set 7-3 over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday. "It feels good,” Miami right-hander Dan Haren told reporters of the second straight winning series. “But we've got to win a lot more series to get back to where we want to (be). The goal is to get somewhere around .500 by around the All-Star break or a little bit after and go from there.”

TV: 8:40 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Miami), ROOT (Colorado)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins RH Tom Koehler (3-3, 4.01 ERA) vs. Rockies RH Eddie Butler (3-5, 4.22)

Koehler was knocked around for five runs on seven hits and four walks at the New York Mets on Saturday but avoided a loss when Miami surged to a 9-5 victory. The 28-year-old allowed a total of two earned runs in 22 innings in his previous four appearances. Koehler is undefeated in three previous chances against Colorado, posting a 1-0 record with a 2.14 ERA despite 22 hits allowed in 21 innings.

Butler snapped a five-start winless streak at Philadelphia on Saturday when he scattered one run and four hits over six innings. The 25-year-old rookie struck out three and walked one in that outing, giving him 26 strikeouts and 28 walks in 49 total innings this season. Butler lasted three innings in his last home start and is 1-2 with a 5.02 ERA in three starts in Colorado.

WALK-OFFS

1. Rockies RHP Jordan Lyles will undergo season-ending surgery to repair ligament damage in his left big toe next week.

2. Miami RF Giancarlo Stanton is batting .358 with seven home runs, six doubles and 18 RBIs in 14 career games at Coors Field.

3. Colorado 3B Nolan Arenado recorded 18 RBIs in the last 11 games.

PREDICTION: Rockies 6, Marlins 5