Colorado @ St. Louis preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 14, 2011 ) Colorado 2, St. Louis 6

After getting shut out at home for the third time this season, Colorado opens a four-game series Monday at high-powered St. Louis. The Rockies fell 2-0 at Coors Field to San Diego on Sunday, and find themselves just one game out of the NL West cellar.

The Cardinals, fighting to keep pace with Cincinnati and Pittsburgh in the NL Central, stopped a three-game skid with Sunday’s 5-4 home win over the Pirates. Allen Craig had two homers and five RBIs in the weekend series, which started a season-high 10-game homestand.

This is the first of seven meetings between St. Louis and Colorado this season.

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, FS-M, ROOT

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies LH Josh Outman (0-3, 9.32 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Kyle Lohse (7-2, 2.82 ERA)

Outman could lose his spot in the rotation with another bad start. Batters are hitting .316 against the 27-year-old, who lasted just three innings last time out. Outman has served up five homers in his last four starts.

Lohse has pitched at least seven innings in four straight starts, and he’s given up three or fewer runs in five straight. Batters are hitting .245 against Lohse, who’s 3-3 with a 3.51 ERA in nine career starts against Colorado. He’s 2-1 with a 2.88 ERA at home this season.

WALK-OFFS:

1. Cardinals RF Carlos Beltran should be back in the lineup after getting a day off Sunday. He has an MLB-best nine-game RBI streak.

2. LF Carlos Gonzalez (.337, 17 HR, 58 RBI) was the only Rockies player named to the NL All-Star team.

3. St. Louis has four All-Stars. SS Rafael Furcal and RF Carlos Beltran will start. Catcher Yadier Molina and first-year starting pitcher Lance Lynn are going as backups.