Atlanta @ Colorado preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 7, 2011 ) Colorado 3, Atlanta 6

THE STORY: The Atlanta Braves don’t usually need to score nine runs to win. But they have proven they can if the need arises. Blessed with what may be the best pitching staff in the league top to bottom, the Braves busted out the bats to take a series from the Washington Nationals over the weekend, totaling 20 runs in their two victories. The Colorado Rockies are treading water at the moment, still deciding whether or not to go for it at the rapidly-approaching trade deadline. The Rockies will be looking to convince management not to sell when they open a four-game set against Atlanta at Coors Field on Monday.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Jason Hammel (5-8, 4.32 ERA) vs. Braves RH Derek Lowe (5-7, 4.30 ERA)

After battling some inconsistency at the end of the first half, Hammel was given an extra-long All-Star break and will be making his first start since July 8. The veteran righthander has surrendered at least one home run in each of his last five turns and has walked more batters (14) than he has struck out (11) in that span. Hammel has never beaten Atlanta, posting an 0-2 mark with a 9.53 ERA in four career starts.

Lowe dropped his last post-break start, getting knocked around for four runs and 10 hits in six innings at Philadelphia on July 10. The sinkerballer has not completed seven innings since May 17 against Houston and has just one quality start in his last six turns. Lowe has struggled at Coors Field in his career, going 3-5 with a 5.53 ERA in 10 starts.

ABOUT THE ROCKIES (45-50): Colorado was embarrassed in Atlanta from July 4-7, getting swept in a four-game series by a combined 24-8. The Rockies did not have a starter last more than 5 1/3 innings in the series and could not get much going offensively as Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki each missed the bulk of the set with injuries. Colorado currently sits 11 games behind wild card-leading Atlanta and 9 1/2 games back of the National League West-leading San Francisco Giants, making a playoff push seem like a daunting task. The Rockies failed to help themselves much over the weekend, taking the first two games from the Milwaukee Brewers but dropping the last two - each by one run. A nine-game road trip through Arizona, Los Angeles and San Diego follows the series against the Braves and will help determine the club’s course for the rest of the season.

ABOUT THE BRAVES (56-39): Jair Jurrjens was due for a bad start after pacing Major League Baseball with a 1.87 ERA into the All-Star break. Jurrjens turned in a stinker on Sunday, getting pounded for six runs in five innings against the Washington Nationals. But Atlanta, whose offense had totaled four runs in Jurrjens’ three losses this season, picked up its ace, battling back to tie on Nate McLouth’s solo homer in the eighth and grabbing a walk-off 9-8 victory on Freddie Freeman’s RBI single in the ninth. Balance in the offense is something for which the Braves have strived this season, and seven different players scored runs on Sunday. Atlanta has won 12 of 15 overall, averaging just under six runs per game in the 12 victories.

FINAL PITCH: Braves 3B Chipper Jones will not accompany the team to Colorado but hopes to begin a rehab assignment later in the week. The former All-Star underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on July 8 and began doing some running and hitting off a tee last weekend. He is eligible to come off the DL on July 24.