Colorado @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 22, 2014 ) Colorado 14, Cleveland 6

Both teams need to change their course when the Colorado Rockies visit the Cleveland Indians on Friday to begin a three-game interleague series. The Rockies are 6-11 in 17 games and the major-league leaders in scoring most of the season have produced only 15 runs in the last seven contests while winning only twice. Cleveland had won five of six before dropping the last four games - totaling only seven runs - and are without Nick Swisher and Carlos Santana, both on the disabled list.

The Indians did get All Star second baseman Jason Kipnis back from the DL Wednesday and Michael Brantley is 22-for-56 during a team season-high 14-game hitting streak. The Rockies are only 4-for-48 with runners in scoring position on their road trip after going 0-for-13 on Wednesday, when they left 15 on base in a 6-3 loss to Philadelphia. Colorado’s Troy Tulowitzki still leads the majors with a .369 average, but had only two RBIs over the last three series.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET; ROOT (Colorado), STO (Cleveland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Juan Nicasio (5-2, 3.61 ERA) vs. Indians RH Corey Kluber (5-3, 3.10)

Nicasio is 3-1 in his last five starts while surrendering two or fewer earned runs in four of them, including six scoreless innings to beat Atlanta on Saturday. The 27-year-old Dominican Republic native has gone past six innings only twice in 10 starts and threw a season-high 103 pitches in his last. Brantley is 2-for-3 against Nicasio, who gave up six runs over 4 2/3 innings in one career appearance versus Cleveland.

Kluber has been the Indians’ best pitcher this season with eight quality starts in 11 outings, including the last five. The Alabama native has allowed two or fewer runs in four of those five while going 3-0, and has 83 strikeouts over 72 2/3 innings. Justin Morneau is 5-for-12 with a homer against Kluber, who owns a 2.70 ERA at home compared to 3.50 on the road this season and has never faced the Rockies.

WALK-OFFS

1. The teams met for three-game series in 2008 and 2011, with Colorado winning five of six contests.

2. Rockies LF Carlos Gonzalez is 0-for-11 in the last five games while struggling with finger and calf injuries.

3. Cleveland DH Jason Giambi has three hits this season – two of them homers to give him 440 in his career, two behind Dave Kingman for 40th on the all-time list.

PREDICTION: Indians 5, Rockies 1