Rox try vs Leiter

[Durango53]

GAME: Florida Marlins (12-8) at Colorado Rockies (6-13).

TIME: Wednesday, 8:35 p.m. EDT.

Al Leiter has been the only Florida starter to struggle this season.

The veteran left-hander will try for his first victory of the season as the Marlins play the middle game of their series with the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.

Leiter is the only Florida starter without a win and an ERA over 3.00. Once again, he has been wild with his control. Leiter, who was seventh in the majors with 98 walks allowed last year, hasn't done much better this season, walking 12 batters in 20 2-3 innings.

He walked five, hit a batter, allowed five hits and eight runs in three innings, hiking his ERA from 2.55 to 5.66 in a 10-1 loss to the New York Mets on Thursday.

"You give up too many bases on balls to those big bombers, somebody will hurt you," Marlins manager Jack McKeon said.

The Rockies are the perfect team to help break Leiter out of his slump.

The 39-year-old Leiter has been sensational against Colorado in his career, going 10-3 with a 3.52 ERA in 14 starts versus the Rockies.

Josh Beckett had a two-run double in Florida's five-run seventh inning and overcame a shaky start for his fourth win, lifting the Marlins to a 9-3 victory over the Rockies on Tuesday.

Former Rockies outfielder Juan Pierre hit his first homer in 729 at-bats at Coors Field in the fourth inning and added an RBI triple in the seventh to finish a double short of the cycle. Alex Gonzalez also homered for Florida, which had 15 hits for its seventh win in nine games.

Colorado, which played under bench coach Jamie Quirk after manager Clint Hurdle went home with flu-like symptoms, had just four hits after the second inning to lose for the third time in five games.

Hurdle first started feeling ill before Colorado's game against San Francisco on April 8 and hasn't been able to shake the symptoms. He showed up for Tuesday's game, but was sent home by team internist Dr. Allen Schreiber.

[Durango53]

Despite a disappointing loss to the Marlins in the series opener on Tuesday, the Rockies have won four of their last seven games and remain charged from taking their last series from the division-leading Dodgers. The Marlins sit a half-game atop their own division, giving the Rockies a formidible one-two challenge on this six-game homestand.

The Rockies will look for a quick turnaround, hoping to seize momentum from the Marlins by sending Joe Kennedy to the mound on Wednesday evening. The Rockies have won two of the four games Kennedy has started so far, and Kennedy is poised to be the first Colorado hurler to notch two wins this season. Each of the five starters has won once, and reliever Ryan Speier got the win in relief of Kennedy's Opening Day start.

Both of the Rockies' wins in Kennedy's starts were at Coors Field, and although his ERA is up to 6.17 at home in 2005, he enjoyed one of the best seasons ever for a starter in Colorado last year, going 6-1 with a 3.59 ERA in 14 starts.

Momentum is swinging Kennedy's way lately as he rebounds from a slow start. After giving up 14 runs in 9 1/3 innings during his first two outings, he has given up six runs in 12 2/3 innings over his last two. In his last home game, he held the Giants to two runs in 6 2/3 innings.

[Durango53]

STANDINGS: Marlins - 1st place, NL East. Rockies - 5th place, 6½ GB, NL West.

[Durango53]

MARLINS PROBABLE STARTER: Leiter (0-2, 5.66 ERA). Leiter is 28-19 with a 3.72 ERA in 71 career appearances in April, including 68 starts.

FLA: LHP Al Leiterhttp://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/images/gameday/mugshots/117652.jpg
• 0-2, 5.66 ERA in 2005
• 0-0, 1.50 ERA vs. COL in 2004

COL: LHP Joe Kennedyhttp://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/images/gameday/mugshots/406773.jpg
• 1-2, 8.18 ERA in 2005
• 0-1, 1.29 ERA vs. FLA in 2004

ROCKIES PROBABLE STARTER: Joe Kennedy (1-2, 8.18 ERA). Kennedy lost his second decision of the year after allowing four runs and seven hits in six innings of Colorado's 6-3 defeat to the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday. He's 0-4 with a 3.95 ERA in four starts against Florida.

[Durango53]

OFFENSIVE LEADERS: Marlins - Paul Lo Duca, .344 avg.; Miguel Cabrera and Juan Encarnacion, 3 HRs; Encarnacion, 20 RBIs; Luis Castillo, 16 runs and 3 SBs. Rockies - Clint Barmes, .421 avg. and 19 runs; Barmes and Preston Wilson, 4 HRs and 15 RBIs; Barmes, Matt Holliday, and Wilson, 2 SBs.

[Durango53]

SEASON SERIES: Marlins, 1-0.

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STREAKS AND NOTES: Marlins - 1B Jeff Conine is 9-for-13 with a home run, two doubles and six RBIs against Kennedy. ... OF Cabrera has his third three-hit game of the season Tuesday to raise his batting average from .310 to .329. ... 3B Mike Lowell has hit safely in seven of the last eight games. Rockies - 3B Garrett Atkins went 2-for-3 Tuesday in his first game this season. He had been on the DL since straining his hamstring in Colorado's final exhibition game. ... OF Pierre is tied for the major league lead with four bunt singles. 2B Barmes also has four. ... OF Wilson is hitting .188 (6-for-32) with 15 strikeouts in his career against Leiter.

[Durango53]

ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Marlins - 4-2 on the road; Rockies - 5-6 at home.

[Durango53]

Player to watch
Preston Wilson has seen his bat come to life over his last three games, going 5-for-12 (.417) with two homers and seven RBIs. The former Marlin is now hitting .423 (11-for-26) against his old club, leading all Rockies.

[Durango53]

Quotable
"I watched enough games. I'm ready to get it going." -- Garrett Atkins, who went 2-for-3 against Josh Beckett on Tuesday in his first game of the season after starting the year on the disabled list

[Durango53]

Quick hits
Jamey Wright picked off Juan Pierre from first base in the first inning on Tuesday, tying him with Armando Reynoso for a club-record 28 career pickoffs. Wright's 37 career pickoffs are third among active right-handers, behind Roger Clemens (40) and Kevin Brown (39). ... Wright gave up no walks Tuesday night, ending a streak of 49 starts in which he had issued at least one walk. ... Matt Holliday's first-inning triple on Tuesday was his fourth of 2005, best in the Majors. It also surpasses his season total of three from last year. ... Clint Barmes' hitting streak was snapped at 10 games on Tuesday. He hit .524 (22-for-42) during the streak, with 13 runs, three doubles, two homers, 10 RBIs and a .574 on-base percentage.

[Durango53]

On television
• FLA: None
• COL: UPN20, FSRM, ESPN, ESPN2, FOX

On radio
• FLA: WQAM 560 AM; WQBA 1140 AM (Español)
• COL: KOA 850 AM

[Royce]

I think the Rockies will win this one, the Fish are 0-4 when Leiter starts so far this year.

[Durango53]

Ya but Leiter has killed the Rox in past starts.......

But I to think they can win this one.

[BPBlueSox]

It's raining pretty good here...and looks like it will off and on at times all evening. Don't know what's gonna happen with them playing a game tonight...

[yagsy]

I was wondering the weather in Denver. It poured in San Fran today, poured in Boston and I was surprised the Mets got a game in this afternoon.

Drat, I was really looking forward to Kennedy up against Leiter. Well, I guess it will be a double header tomorrow then. April sure has been a month of showers!

[Durango53]

Snowing like hell here in Wyoming. We got about 4 inchs so far and they are saying 10 by the morning. So I can see it raining in Denver.

[yagsy]

Snowing? :eek: Gosh I was so cold today here in the north Boston area, but I can't imagine snow! That's just wrong unless you live in the Southern Hemisphere.

[yagsy]

Hey, looks like they are going to try to get this game in. :cheer: :jump: :dancin:

Or, and George Foster sure hasn't aged much to me since his pitching days.

Wayne Espy is going to be interviewed after the commercials.

[BPBlueSox]

Yeah, it's actually snowing now here at my place as well. :(

[yagsy]

Dan, this is wrong! It just is this late in the Spring!!!

They just announced the game time temp - 29 degrees! :yikes:

[BPBlueSox]

Dan, this is wrong! It just is this late in the Spring!!!

They just announced the game time temp - 29 degrees! :yikes:

I don't doubt it. I have 33 right now at my place here. :(

Looks like there may be a short reprieve from precip for a bit...but there is still more rain/snow on the way this evening for sure...

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/radar/loop/DS.p19r0/si.kftg.shtml

[yagsy]

When it's this cold though, I can't imagine this to be healthy for the players. The thing I worry about is the muscle pulls. You can keep it warm on the bench (heaters) but not in the field. I just don't think it's such a good idea to play in that type of cold. Let's hope noone gets hurt!!!

[yagsy]

Okay, they just announced it was 35 degrees, not 29. Even so, it will get colder as the nite goes on. With all that rain, won't the water freeze on the field or the grass becomes slick? :eek:

[BPBlueSox]

When it's this cold though, I can't imagine this to be healthy for the players. The thing I worry about is the muscle pulls. You can keep it warm on the bench (heaters) but not in the field. I just don't think it's such a good idea to play in that type of cold. Let's hope noone gets hurt!!!

I don't know how wet the field is downtown, but down here on the south end of town it POURED for quite a bit...and is very wet out there...a wet, cold field...doesn't sound good to me!

[yagsy]

Okay, it's pouring snow now. Oh, now the tarp is coming out so I guess the delay could be a long one, if not a postponement. :eek:

This snow is not as bad as what it was in Baltimore a few years ago but it's bad enough.

Preston Wilson seems to enjoy it though.

[Durango53]

Or, and George Foster sure hasn't aged much to me since his pitching days.


But his mouth sure is dumb!!!!!!!! I cant stand that dork!!!!!!! The few times a year I do have the TV on it is always on mute. The second he talks I want to punch him in the mouth!!!!! ;)

[Durango53]

Welcome to a Rocky mountain spring time storm!!!!!!

But man we need this snow so freaking bad. I is to snow here all night and most of the day tomorrow here (or so they say Dan is the only weather man I trust!! :D ) But you cant believe how bad we need this wetness!!!!!!!

[awefullspellare]

They say it will be made up tomorrow. Let's hope they get it in.

[Durango53]

I dont know what it is like in Denver but we got snow coming for the next two days.

But they have to find a way to get it in because if not they will more than likly have to play a DH when the Rox go to the Fish. And the Rox have to get all the games they can at home.