St. Louis @ Colorado preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 1, 2012 ) St. Louis 9, Colorado 6

Matt Holliday rose to stardom with the Colorado Rockies, and every trip back to Coors Field reminds the home fans of what could have been. Holliday has been a wrecking ball against the Rockies this season and will look to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a three-game sweep in Thursday's series finale. Holliday is 5-for-9 with three homers and nine RBIs in the last two games to help the Cardinals stay within three games of Atlanta and four of Pittsburgh for the two wild card slots.

The roof has caved in on the Rockies, who have lost a season-high seven straight games and are 0-5 on their current nine-game homestand. The Houston Astros are the only thing separating Colorado from the worst record in baseball. Last year's blockbuster trade of ace right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez to Cleveland netted top pitching prospects Drew Pomeranz and Alex White. Pomeranz lasted only four innings Wednesday and White gets his chance Thursday.

TV: 8:40 p.m. ET, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), Root Sports (Colorado)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Lance Lynn (13-4, 3.42 ERA) vs. Rockies RH Alex White (2-6, 6.45)

Lynn has won back-to-back starts and three straight decisions despite giving up a season high-tying six runs in five innings against the Chicago Cubs last time out. It marked the third time in six starts that Lynn has yielded six runs. He had been superb in his three previous outings, allowing one run in 19 innings. Lynn tossed six scoreless innings against the Rockies on July 5.

White is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs to make the start in place of LHP Christian Friedrich, who had his scheduled start pushed back to Sunday. White was demoted at the end of June after going 0-3 in four starts and failing to get past four innings in his last three outings. He has pitched well of late and is the reigning Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week.

WALK-OFFS

1. Holliday reached 20 homers for the seventh consecutive season and has already matched last year's RBI total of 75. He is 13-for-24 with five homers and 16 RBIs in six games against Colorado this year.

2. Rockies rookie SS Josh Rutledge has homered in three straight games and has five multi-hit games during his six-game hitting streak.

3. St. Louis holds the National League's best winning percentage in August (197-140, .585) since 2000.