Colorado @ St. Louis preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 12, 2011 ) Colorado 1, St. Louis 6

THE STORY: The St. Louis Cardinals are having a tough time making up any ground against the streaking Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central, but they are chugging along with six victories in their last eight games. The Cardinals have allowed 14 runs in those six wins, and three in the last two. They will send Jaime Garcia, 6-2 at home, to the mound to try to keep it going Saturday against the visiting Colorado Rockies. St. Louis has beaten Colorado seven of the last eight meetings going back to last season, and five straight at home. The Rockies have lost three straight to reach a season-low 10 games below .500.

TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, ROOT (Colorado), FS Midwest (St. Louis)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Jason Hammel (6-11, 5.14 ERA) vs. Cardinals LH Jaime Garcia (10-5, 3.23).

Hammel has allowed 12 runs over nine innings in his last two starts and has allowed 17 home runs in 136 2/3 innings. Hammel has faced the Cardinals once, giving up five runs in three innings in 2010. Matt Holliday is 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles against Hammel. Garcia has given up two or less runs in five of his last seven starts, including Sunday when Florida got only two runs in five innings off him. Teams are batting .196 against him at home and .320 on the road. Garcia is 0-1 and gave up 13 earned runs over 8 2/3 innings against Colorado in his career - 11 of those runs came in a loss May 28. Carlos Gonzalez is 3-for-6 with two doubles against Garcia.

ABOUT THE ROCKIES (55-65): Colorado has to get its offense going again after scoring only four runs in the last three games, while leaving 24 on base. Carlos Gonzalez did break out a 0-for-12 slide with his 17th home run Friday, but they need more up and down the lineup. Dexter Fowler and Troy Tulowitzki have been swinging the bat pretty well. Fowler is 12-for-33 in his last eight games with six RBIs and Tulowitzki is 17-for-40 in August with three homers and eight RBIs. Todd Helton needs one RBI to reach 1,300 for his career.

ABOUT THE CARDINALS (64-55): The big guns are producing for the Cardinals, but the acquisition of Rafael Furcal has been a help at shortstop and in the lead-off spot. Furcal is batting only .235 with St. Louis, but has a seven-game hit streak and has a hit in 10 of his last 11. Albert Pujols started August 1-for-14, but has 14 hits in 34 at-bats with four homers and eight RBIs in the last eight games. Matt Holliday, who missed two games with a sore back, returned to the lineup Friday and extended his hit streak to six games (9-for-24, eight RBIs). Lance Berkman is 11-for-25 during a seven-game hit streak.

FINAL PITCH: The Rockies placed closer Huston Street on the 15-day disabled list Friday with a right triceps strain and activated first baseman Jason Giambi. Rafael Betancourt will take over the closer duties.