Colorado @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 11, 2015 ) Colorado 4, Seattle 2

The Colorado Rockies are putting the final touches on their fifth consecutive losing season, but manager Walt Weiss' charges are determined to finish 2015 strong as they visit the Seattle Mariners on Saturday for the middle contest of their three-game series. Colorado is 10-8 since dropping a season-worst 25 games below .500 on Aug. 24, and Weiss' encouragement and words of wisdom have a lot to do with their better play of late.

"It's easy to get distracted when you're not in a pennant race and you're playing out the string,'' Weiss told the Denver Post. "It's just human nature. My message once a week has about getting to the finish line the right way, maintaining integrity, building a reputation in the game as a winning player. Don't miss out on an opportunity to do that every day.'' Colorado prevailed 4-2 in the series opener on the strength of a home run, but it didn't come from Nolan Arenado (38 homers) or Carlos Gonzalez (37) - the top two sluggers in the National League. Rookie Dustin Garneau provided the three-run shot - his second career blast - to snap Seattle's scoreless string at 24 innings and help hand the Mariners their third loss in 10 games. Seattle's Roenis Elias is winless in his last five starts (0-4) as he opposes Yohan Flande, who suffered his first loss of the season as a starter in his last outing.

TV: 9:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Colorado, Seattle)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies LH Yohan Flande (3-2, 4.65 ERA) vs. Mariners LH Roenis Elias (4-8, 4.30)

Flande fell to 2-1 with a 4.93 ERA in eight starts this season after allowing six runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings of a 7-4 loss to San Francisco on Sunday. The 29-year-old Dominican has permitted 10 home runs in his last six turns and is 1-1 with a 5.63 ERA during that span. Flande earned the victory with a scoreless inning of relief in a 7-5 triumph on Aug. 5 in his only appearance versus the Mariners.

Elias yielded two runs and five hits while striking out six in 5 1/3 innings of a 3-0 loss to Texas on Monday. Seattle has scored 29 runs during the 27-year-old Cuban's 16 starts this season and 40 in those entire games. Elias, who never has faced Colorado, is 1-4 with a 4.25 ERA in eight home outings (seven starts) this season.

WALK-OFFS

1. Seattle LF Mark Trumbo on Friday went 0-for-3 to snap a career-high 12-game hitting streak during which he was 18-for-48 with four home runs, 11 RBIs and eight runs scored. Trumbo also had a 10-game run (18-for-38, four homers, 13 RBIs, 10 runs) halted against Colorado.

2. Colorado is 4-14 versus the American League West this season.

3. Mariners 2B Robinson Cano has 1,988 career hits and is on track to become the 14th player in major-league history to record 2,000 in his first 11 seasons.

PREDICTION: Mariners 3, Rockies 2