Florida @ Colorado preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 24, 2011 ) Colorado 3, Florida 6

THE STORY: The Florida Marlins have to be happy to get away from home. Not only are they coming off a demoralizing 1-9 homestand, but they are also seven games over .500 on the road. The Marlins, who had won eight of 10 before the homestand, will send Clay Hensley to the mound to start a seven-game road trip Monday night against the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies are coming off a 3-4 road trip and starting a nine-game home stand. Florida won two of three in Miami against the Rockies April 22-24 and has won four of the last five overall against Colorado.

TV: 8:40 p.m. EST; FS-FL (Florida), ROOT (Colorado).

PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins RH Clay Hensley (1-4, 4.50) vs. Rockies RH Kevin Millwood (0-1, 3.86).

Hensley will make his sixth consecutive start after coming out of the bullpen. He has allowed three or less in four of five, including a no-decision against Atlanta Tuesday when he allowed three runs over 5 2/3 innings. Hensley gave up two runs in 2/3 of an inning April 24 against Colorado and is 4-2 lifetime against the Rockies with a 4.53 ERA over 53 2/3 innings. Todd Helton is 6-for-14 with seven walks and a homer against Hensley.

Millwood allowed six hits and three runs over seven innings in his first major league start of the season Wednesday in a loss at Cincinnati. He gave up three solo homers. Millwood is 159-138 in 415 appearances. He is 7-9 lifetime against the Marlins with a 5.36 ERA in 141 innings. John Buck is 8-for-23 with six RBIs against Millwood.

ABOUT THE MARLINS (56-64): No one is struggling more with the bat for the Marlins than Gaby Sanchez. The first baseman is 0-for-23 the last seven games to drop his average to .269. Florida scored 25 runs during the 10-game home stand, four in the last three games. There’s been some good news. Greg Dobbs had two hits Sunday to improve his average to .294, and Mike Stanton belted his first homer since Aug. 1. Emilio Bonifacio is also a workmanlike 7-for-25 the last six games, keeping his average at .285. Florida recalled infielders Jose Lopez and Ozzie Martinez on Sunday.

ABOUT THE ROCKIES (56-66): Colorado is back at a season-worst 10 games under .500, coming up empty in the final eight innings Sunday night after scoring twice in the first inning. Carlos Gonzalez had a good series in St. Louis, with two homers and two doubles that knocked in five. Second baseman Mark Ellis has also been solid since being acquired from Oakland. He is 10-for-28 the last eight games and is batting .274 overall with the Rockies. Troy Tulowitzki leads the team in RBIs (82) and is 19-for-42 the last 12 games.

FINAL PITCH: In their first 18 seasons, the Rockies have never had a qualifying hitter that led the team in batting average lower than Andres Galarraga’s .319 in 1994. Helton is batting .307 and Tulowitzki .301 to lead Colorado so far in 2011.