Rockies will look to get revenge against Diamondbacks after a tough series loss against the Rays

Through the first ten games of the year, the Colorado Rockies have limped to a 2-8 record. Following a 1-6 start on a seven-game road trip, the Rockies dropped their first home weekend series of the year to the Tampa Bay Rays. Today, they welcome a familiar foe to Coors Field.

Colorado began their season on March 28 against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix, AZ. On Opening Day, the Rockies were blasted 16-1, and ultimately lost three of four games in the set by a combined total of 32-14. In this series, the probable pitching matchups for each of the three games are scheduled to be the same as they were in Phoenix, except now at home in Denver, the Rox will hope to flip the script.

Tonight, the Diamondbacks (4-6) will send RHP Zac Gallen to the bump, and for the Rockies it will be LHP Kyle Freeland. Gallen is off to a tremendous start in 2024, as through two starts he boasts a 2-0 record with a minuscule 0.82 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP. Freeland, on the other hand, has struggled. In his two starts (0-2) he has only totaled 5.2 innings and carries a 27.00 ERA with a 4.06 WHIP. On Opening Day when these two faced off, Gallen went five innings allowing just three hits and one earned run while striking out three and walking two. Freeland was ambushed by the Diamondbacks, as he pitched 2.1 innings, giving up 10 hits and 10 earned runs. Let's see if being back home at Coors Field provides an edge for Freeland.

On Tuesday, in game two of the three-game series, Arizona's starter will be RHP Merrill Kelly, matching up with Colorado's Cal Quantrill. Kelly (1-0) has enjoyed a great start to his 2024 campaign, totaling 13.2 innings in his two starts while yielding just a 1.98 ERA. He also owns just a 0.66 WHIP, good for third best in the NL. Quantrill (0-1) will make his Coors Field debut as a member of the Rockies, and thus far, he has pitched nine innings to accumulate a 9.00 ERA with a 2.00 WHIP. Back on March 29 when these two faced off, the Diamondbacks earned a 7-3 win as Kelly dominated the Rockies lineup, going 6.2 innings while giving up three hits and one run (Elias Díaz home run), and striking out eight. Quantrill pitched five innings, relinquishing nine hits and five earned runs (Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Christian Walker home runs), as he took the loss.

On Wednesday, the probable pitchers are LHP Tommy Henry for the Diamondbacks and LHP Austin Gomber for the Rockies. Henry (0-1) has pitched nine innings in his first two starts, and he comes into this series with a 7.00 ERA and a 1.78 WHIP. Gomber (0-0) has totaled 8.2 innings in his two starts, amounting a 6.23 ERA and a 1.85 WHIP. The last time these two squared off, the Rockies earned their first win of the season, 9-4 in Arizona. In that game, Henry took the loss, pitching four innings and giving up six hits and five runs while striking out four and walking two. Gomber was handed a no-decision, pitching 4.2 innings, surrendering six hits and four earned runs. He also struck out three and walked two.

The first two games of the series will begin at 6:40 p.m. MDT, and the matinee on Wednesday is scheduled for 1:10 MDT. Can the Rockies get back on track? Tonight's game against the division rival Diamondbacks is the first opportunity to do so.

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