Milwaukee @ Colorado preview

Last Meeting ( May 22, 2011 ) Colorado 1, Milwaukee 3

THE STORY: Tied for first in the NL Central and showing a commitment to win now, the Milwaukee Brewers open the second half in Colorado for the start of a four-game series Thursday. Milwaukee announced right after the All-Star Game that it had acquired Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez for two players to be named. "Francisco has been one of the best relievers in the game for many years," Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said in a statement. "He is a high-quality arm who will be a tremendous asset to our bullpen as we prepare for the final months of the regular season and playoffs." Closer John Axford has performed well for Milwaukee, but the Brewers had a desperate need for quality setup men.

TV: 8:40 p.m. ET, ROOT, FSN

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Ubaldo Jimenez (4-8, 4.14 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Yovani Gallardo (10-5, 3.76 ERA) –

Jimenez got off to a brutal start while dealing with thumb and leg injuries, but he’s back in a groove now, having given up three or fewer earned runs in his last eight starts. Jimenez is 1-5 with a 6.24 ERA at home. However, in five career starts against the Brewers, he’s 2-1 with a 2.57 ERA. He has the most trouble with All-Stars Rickie Weeks (.545, 6-for-11) and Ryan Braun (.353, 6-for-17).

Gallardo has gone exactly seven innings in each of his last three starts, giving up a total of five runs. Carlos Gonzalez is hitting .455 (5-for-11) against Gallardo, who is 0-3 lifetime against the Rockies with a 5.85 ERA.

ABOUT THE ROCKIES (43-48): Sitting 8 ½ games behind the Giants in the NL West, Colorado has to play better at home to get back in the race. The Rockies are just 22-22 at Coors Field after starting 11-2 at home. "I don't have any idea why," All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said. "We've not had many come-from-behind victories, which we've had in the past, and I think we're just not putting it together at home. I think that's going to turn. We didn't want to be in this situation, but we are and we'll deal with it."

ABOUT THE BREWERS (49-43): Milwaukee gets a nice boost with the return of All-Star left fielder Ryan Braun, the NL’s leading vote-getter. Braun (.320, 16 HR, 62 RBI) did not play in the Midsummer Classic, having been sidelined since July 3 with an inflamed tendon in his left leg. The Brewers lead the NL with 103 homers and rank fourth with 405 runs scored.

FINAL PITCH: The Rockies rank sixth in the NL with 395 runs scored…First baseman Todd Helton entered the All-Star break in a groove, going 5-for-13 with a homer, double and two RBIs in a three-game series at Washington.