Battle to get out of Basement.

[Durango53]

GAME: Colorado Rockies (1-6) at Arizona Diamondbacks (5-3).

TIME: Wednesday, 3:10 p.m. EDT.

The Colorado Rockies are finally getting some help in their bullpen.

With closer Chin-hui Tsao available for the first time this season, the Rockies will try to end the worst start in team history when they wrap up their three-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/images/2004/07/21/2HOC8dnu.jpg

The Rockies lost 4-2 on Tuesday for their sixth straight loss, and their club-record fifth straight on the road to start a season. Colorado starter Shawn Chacon allowed just one run in six innings, but Arizona rallied for three against relievers Brian Fuentes and Ryan Speier.

Pinch-hitter Tony Clark scored the go-ahead run on Royce Clayton's single in the eighth inning. Entering the game, the Rockies' bullpen was 1-2 with a 9.78 ERA.

However, the staff should get a boost on Tuesday now that Tsao has been activated from the 15-day disabled list. The Taiwanese right-hander missed the start of the season after developing right shoulder inflammation.

He has appeared in 19 games over the last two years for Colorado, including eight starts in 2003, going 3-3 with a 5.64 ERA. Last season, he made 10 relief appearances and went 0-0 with a save and a 3.86 ERA.

Manager Clint Hurdle said he plans to use left-hander Fuentes and right-hander Byung-Hyun Kim as setup men for Tsao, depending on late-inning matchups.

"Without (Tsao) at the end, it was a ship without a rudder," Hurdle said. "I mean, any bullpen. You're looking to set him up from the ninth (inning) forward, and we didn't have that luxury coming in."

Clayton went 3-for-4 and Luis Gonzalez drove in a pair of runs Tuesday for the Diamondbacks, who have won four of their last six.

Aaron Miles and Matt Holliday each drove in a run for the Rockies.
http://ak.imgfarm.com/images/ap/ROCKIES_DIAMONDBACKS.sff_PNB105_20050412235141.jpg

[Durango53]

Colorado rookie left-hander Jeff Francis said he learned a considerable amount by just watching veteran lefty Shawn Estes pitch for the Rockies last season. Estes also would give Francis little pointers in the dugout about ways to throw off hitters' timing.

On Wednesday afternoon, Francis will watch Estes again, but that's about the extent of their chance to renew acquaintances.

Francis will start for the Rockies against Arizona, which will send Estes to the mound for the finale of the three-game series at Bank One Ballpark. The Rockies have lost six straight, and are 1-6 for the first time in their 13 seasons.

"I learned stuff [from Estes] like trying to slow things down, not getting too excited during the game," Francis said. "There were a lot of things I liked that he did really well.

"He was able to slow the game down when hitters were getting a rhythm going. When he was really going good, he would just get the ball, get right back up there and throw."

Francis will need to get his own rhythm. He didn't have it on Friday night at San Francisco, when he gave up six runs and eight hits, including two home runs, in four innings but didn't figure in the decision as the Rockies lost, 10-8.

[Durango53]

ROCKIES PROBABLE STARTER: Jeff Francis (0-0, 13.50 ERA). Francis allowed six earned runs and eight hits over just four innings in the Rockies' 10-8 defeat to San Francisco on Friday. The 24-year-old left-hander, who went 3-2 with a 5.15 ERA in seven starts for Colorado as a rookie last year, is 1-0 with a 4.09 ERA in two starts against the Diamondbacks.

COL: LHP Jeff Francishttp://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/images/gameday/mugshots/433585.jpg
• 0-0, 13.50 ERA in 2005
• 1-0, 4.09 ERA vs. ARI in 2004

ARI: LHP Shawn Esteshttp://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/images/gameday/mugshots/113915.jpg
• 0-0, 6.00 ERA in 2005
• Pitched for COL in 2004

DIAMONDBACKS PROBABLE STARTER: Shawn Estes (0-0, 6.00 ERA). Estes allowed four earned runs and eight hits over six innings in the Diamondbacks' 8-7 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday. The 32-year-old left-hander is 8-4 with a 4.25 ERA in 17 career starts against the Rockies.

[Durango53]

STANDINGS: Rockies - 5th place, 4 GB, NL West. Diamondbacks - 2nd place, ½ GB, NL West.

[Durango53]

OFFENSIVE LEADERS: Rockies - Todd Helton, .417 avg.; Clint Barmes, 2 HRs and 6 runs; five tied with 4 RBIs; Miles, Helton and Holliday, 1 SB. Diamondbacks - Gonzalez, .379 avg.; Troy Glaus, 4 HRs and 9 RBIs; Shawn Green and Glaus, 8 runs; Craig Counsell, Glaus and Clayton, 1 SB.

[Durango53]

SEASON SERIES: Diamondbacks, 2-0.

[Durango53]

STREAKS AND NOTES: Rockies - The Rockies also activated INF Desi Relaford (sore left knee) from the DL Tuesday, designated INF Alfredo Amezaga for assignment and optioned LHP Javier Lopez to Triple-A Colorado Springs. ... OF Preston Wilson is 8-for-23 (.348) with two homers and three RBIs in his career against LHP Estes. ... LHP Francis made five of his seven starts last season on the road, going 1-2 with a 6.31 ERA. He owned a 2.45 ERA at hitter-friendly Coors Field. Diamondbacks - RHP Brandon Lyon earned his fourth save of the season Tuesday. ... CF Luis Terrero, a regular last year after the trade of OF Steve Finley, has played in only two games this season, but manager Bob Melvin said he would start Wednesday. ... Terrero will be taking the place of CF Jose Cruz Jr., who missed his third straight game Tuesday with tightened back.

[Durango53]

ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Rockies - 0-5 on the road; Diamondbacks - 5-3 at home.

[Durango53]

Player to watch
Todd Helton has been dependable throughout the road trip. He is 7-for-15 (.467) in the five games and carries an overall average of .417.

[Durango53]

Quick hits
Colorado's 0-5 road start is unprecedented in club history. ... Preston Wilson's sacrifice bunt to help set up a run in the seventh inning on Tuesday was a surprise. He hadn't done it since joining the Rockies in 2003, and it was just his fifth sacrifice in 815 Major League games. ... In the last five games, opposing starting pitchers have held Colorado to five earned runs in 33 innings (1.36 ERA).

[Durango53]

On television
• COL: FSN
• ARI: No TV

On radio
• COL: KOA 850 AM; KMXA 1090 AM (Español)
• ARI: KTAR 620 AM; KSUN 1400 AM (Español)

[Durango53]

Lets go Rox!!!!!!!! :(

Keep the game out of your bullpen!!!!!

[Durango53]

Rox ready for a big inning with scoring one run and then getting guys on base hit into a double play. Green hits a line drive and it is caught and they throw out the runner getting back. :(

[Durango53]

45 walks in 7+ games!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :(

That is sick!!!!!!!!

A ok game by Jeff Francis. Had to many walks but got out of much trouble. Leaves the game tied and now that super bad bullpen takes over........

[Durango53]

Wild Pitch for Kim and the Snakes take the lead!!!!!! :(

The bullpen starting to blow up again.

[Durango53]

The Bullpen blows way up. :(

So bad the radio guys are telling people that even though this team sucks that they might be good there last 60 or so games............

[awefullspellare]

The team, I would hope, will get better this year as guys get more experience but they will blow games all year. It's a year to look at solo preformances more then team stuff and watching development. Not fun to do but it's what we are stuck with.

If we didn't have that HR in the bot of the 9th to beat SD we would be 0-8.

[Timberwolf]

Things are going to get better for the Rox.

It's frustrating right now, but the Rockies are still playing well. We have a long season to go.