Colorado @ Oakland preview
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Last Meeting ( Mar 30, 2015 ) Colorado 2, Oakland 11
One of the hottest-hitting players in baseball, Nolan Arenado also is the leading RBI man in the major leagues. Arenado has driven in 68 runs - including 33 this month - and looks to increase that total as he leads the Colorado Rockies into the opener a three-game road series against the Oakland Athletics on Monday.
Arenado homered twice to raise his season total to 24 and collected three RBIs on Sunday, but the Rockies dropped a 6-3 decision to San Francisco. He set a franchise record by registering at least one hit and one run scored for the 12th consecutive contest and brings a 15-game hitting streak into the series opener. "It's all about winning. I hit two homers, but I can't really enjoy it because we lost," Arenado told reporters. "I'm thankful I had a good game, but we lost, and the big picture is winning games." The Athletics started a 10-game homestand on Friday and scored just seven runs while suffering a three-game sweep at the hands of Kansas City.
TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, ROOT (Colorado), CSN California (Oakland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH David Hale (2-2, 5.86 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Kendall Graveman (4-4, 3.86)
Hale is winless over his last three starts as he has allowed 14 earned runs and 22 hits in 15 2/3 innings. He wasn't involved in the decision in his last turn, when he gave up five runs and eight hits over 4 2/3 frames against Arizona. Hale has served up eight homers in 35 1/3 innings this season.
Graveman defeated Texas in his last turn, giving up two runs and eight hits over seven innings. It was his lone victory in his last four starts despite allowing just six earned runs in 29 frames during that stretch. Graveman is 0-3 with a 7.84 ERA in four home outings this year.
WALK-OFFS
1. Athletics CF Billy Burns went 2-for-5 on Sunday to extend his hitting streak to 16 games - one shy of the franchise rookie record shared by Mike Edwards (1978), Luis Polonia (1987) and Terrence Long (2000).
2. Colorado SS Troy Tulowitzki is riding a 12-game hitting streak and has been held without a hit just once in his last 25 contests.
3. Oakland DH Billy Butler is 2-for-22 over his last seven games.
PREDICTION: Athletics 5, Rockies 2