Colorado @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 21, 2012 ) Colorado 6, NY Mets 2

The Colorado Rockies are playing with a depleted lineup these days, but you wouldn't know it from their bottom line. Colorado will go for its eighth victory in its last 10 games when it visits the New York Mets on Wednesday in the third of a four-game series. The Rockies are even winning in Queens, where they are 28-51 all-time at Shea Stadium and Citi Field after two straight victories to start the series. Colorado, which has three regulars - Todd Helton, Troy Tulowitzki and Michael Cuddyer - on the disabled list, will get All-Star left fielder Carlos Gonzalez back Wednesday. He missed the last four games because of his grandfather's death in Venezuela.

The Mets are going in the opposite direction. They have lost four of five and 11 of their last 15 games. New York's Matt Harvey will make his sixth major league start and second at home. The Mets said he will only pitch 60 innings for them this season, so he has 30 left. Colorado sends veteran left-hander Jeff Francis to the hill. Francis is 2-1 with a 5.09 ERA on the road, 1.90 lower than his home number.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, Root Sports (Colorado), SNY (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies LH Jeff Francis (4-4, 6.07 ERA) vs. Mets RH Matt Harvey (2-3, 3.00)

Francis is 1-0 with two no-decisions in his last two starts. He allowed four runs and five hits in five innings in Colorado's 6-5 loss to Miami on Friday after yielding three runs in 5 1/3 innings in the Rockies' 9-6 victory over Milwaukee on Monday. Francis is 2-2 with a 4.91 ERA in five starts against New York. Jason Bay is 8-for-12 with two homers and five RBIs and David Wright is 6-for-12 with three solo homers against him.

Harvey allowed one run, four hits and struck out eight in an 8-4 victory at Cincinnati on Thursday. He lost his three previous starts after setting a franchise record by striking out 11 in his debut. Harvey, who was originally drafted in 2007 by the Los Angeles Angels in the third round, has 34 strikeouts in 30 innings. He has never faced the Rockies or any of their players.

WALK-OFFS

1. Colorado's bullpen had its 18-inning scoreless streak end in Tuesday's 6-2 victory.

2. The Mets are expected to provide results Wednesday on LHP Johan Santana's MRI exam. Santana, who has a stiff back, is scheduled to pitch Thursday.

3. The Rockies placed OF Eric Young Jr. on the 15-day disabled list with a left rib cage strain. Young was hitting .406 in August. ... Colorado has also been without rookie Josh Rutledge, who has made only one pinch-hitting appearance in the last two games because of a strained left quad.