Colorado @ Cleveland preview
Progressive Field
Last Meeting ( Mar 6, 2011 ) Cleveland 1, Colorado 3
THE STORY: Colorado will try to continue its success in interleague play when it opens a three-game series against Cleveland at Progressive Field on Monday night. The Rockies are a National League-best 50-31 since 2006. Colorado went 6-4 on its 10-game homestand, which ended with a 9-1 loss to Detroit on Sunday. The defeat stopped the Rockies' four-game winning streak. The Indians are 6-0 against the National League this season after sweeping three games from Pittsburgh, a series that ended with a 5-2 win Sunday on a walkoff home run by rookie Cord Phelps in the 11th inning.
TV: 7:05 ET, ROOT (Colorado), STO (Cleveland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Juan Nicasio (2-1, 3.38 ERA) vs. Indians RH Fausto Carmona (4-8, 5.79 ERA)
Nicasio, who made the jump from Class-A ball to the majors in one season, will be making his fifth career start. He held the Padres to two runs and struck out nine on Tuesday for his second major-league win. Nicasio has shown good control since being called up from the minors last month, walking five in 24 innings to go with 18 strikeouts.
Carmona won for the first time since May 19 when he beat the Tigers on Wednesday, snapping a stretch of five starts without a victory. He must start pitching better if the Indians are going to stay in contention. Despite being seen by many as a potential No. 1 starter, Carmona's ERA continues to hover close to 6 for the season. Carmona will be making his first career appearance against the Rockies.
ABOUT THE INDIANS (39-31): It's not often a team in first place shakes up its coaching staff, but it happened in Cleveland. Hitting coach Jon Nunnally was fired Sunday, a casualty of the team's recent offensive problems. It will be up to Bruce Fields, a long-time hitting instructor in the organization, to get more from Shin-Soo Choo, Grady Sizemore and Carlos Santana, who have all performed well below expectations. Nunnally did get plenty out of Asdrubal Cabrera and Michael Brantley, who have been productive all season.
ABOUT THE ROCKIES (35-36): A six-game swing against American League teams on the road is good news for one player. Jason Giambi, who has 49 at-bats all season, will get the majority of playing time at designated hitter. It also helps that the all of the Indians' starters are right-handed pitchers. Giambi has gotten some production from his limited at-bats with six homers and 15 RBIs. He's familiar with the DH role from his time in the American League and will add some length to manager Jim Tracy's lineup. Giambi has started 10 times - all at first base - in 71 games. The Rockies will play three games at Yankee Stadium after the series with the Indians.
FINAL PITCH: Cleveland's bullpen hasn't allowed a run in its last seven games, a stretch spanning 22 1/3 innings.