Rockies series probables, looking ahead to division play
MIAMI -- After playing four games against a Marlins team that is now 51-77, the Pirates return home to play the Rockies, who are 51-74.
Probables:
Friday: LHP Francisco Liriano (9-6, 3.23) for the Pirates; RHP Jon Gray (0-0, 5.94) for the Rockies.
Saturday: LHP J.A. Happ (2-1, 2.08) for the Pirates; LHP Chris Rusin (4-6, 4.97) for the Rockies.
Sunday: RHP Charlie Morton (8-5, 4.20) for the Pirates; LHP Jorge De La Rosa (7-6, 4.61) for the Rockies.
This is a Rockies team that no longer has Troy Tulowitzki and has lost 12 of 16.
After that, 26 of the final 33 games come against NL Central opponents, including 17 in a row starting Sept. 1. The first nine of those come on the road, against the Brewers, Cardinals and Reds.
Pirates’ record against division opponents:
Cubs: 5-7 (3-3 home, 2-4 away)
Reds: 4-9 (2-4 home, 2-5 away)
Brewers: 6-6 (4-2 home, 2-4 away)
Cardinals: 6-7 (5-2 home, 1-5 away)
Total: 21-29 (14-11 home, 7-18 away)
So that nine-game road trip could be large.
The Pirates, as of this writing with the Cardinals currently playing the Diamondbacks, are four games back of first place and four games ahead of the Cubs in the wild-card standings, meaning they would host the one-game playoff at PNC Park. They play 13 games against those two teams in the next month, six against the Cardinals and seven against the Cubs.
“It’s fun, man,” Josh Harrison said. “It’s no secret what the Cubs are doing, what the Cardinals are doing, what we’re doing. But we do a good job of not worrying about that.”
In today’s paper: Cole strong in Pirates’ victory; Alvarez, Polanco improving against lefties.
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