Colorado @ Arizona preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 6, 2012 ) Colorado 1, Arizona 6

Jason Kubel is swinging a hot bat as the Arizona Diamondbacks attempt to reach .500 when they open a three-game home series against the Colorado Rockies. Kubel has six homers in the last five games to lead Arizona to a 4-1 mark during the stretch. Colorado has lost 16 of its past 21 games at Arizona and aims to cool down the Diamondbacks behind left-hander Jonathan Sanchez, acquired late last week from the Kansas City Royals.

The teams have split eight meetings this season despite Colorado having the second-worst record in baseball. Sanchez is likely pleased to be back in the National League West after getting pounded regularly with the Royals and going 1-6 with a 7.76 ERA in 12 starts. He spent six seasons with the San Francisco Giants until being traded for All-Star MVP Melky Cabrera this past offseason. Arizona scored 33 runs during a three-game sweep of the Houston Astros to start a 10-game homestand. The Diamondbacks are six games behind the first-place Giants despite a 47-48 record.

TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, ROOT (Colorado), Fox Sports Arizona

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies LH Jonathan Sanchez (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks RH Ian Kennedy (7-8, 4.33)

Sanchez won his first start for the Royals and things went downhill from there. He gave up six or more runs in three of his last four starts, including a horrendous final outing in which the light-hitting Seattle Mariners tallied seven runs off him in 1 1/3 innings. Sanchez walked 44 in 53 1/3 innings with Kansas City. He is 7-6 with a 4.57 ERA in 19 career appearances (16 starts) against the Diamondbacks.

Kennedy has experienced consistency issues while trying to follow up last year’s 21-4 mark. He held the Cincinnati Reds to one run in eight innings in his last outing but gave up 10 runs in 12 innings over his previous two starts. Kennedy matched a career-high with 12 strikeouts while throwing six innings of five-hit shutout ball against Colorado on June 5. He is 2-1 with a 2.77 ERA in nine career starts against the Rockies.

WALK-OFFS

1. Kubel has 21 homers and 71 RBIs – his career-best totals of 28 homers and 103 RBIs came in 2009 as a member of the Minnesota Twins.

2. Rockies OF Carlos Gonzalez is batting .200 with one homer in 20 career at-bats against Kennedy.

3. Diamondbacks OF Justin Upton is one homer away from 100 for his career. He has two homers in 28 career at-bats against Sanchez.