(Sports Network) - The Colorado Rockies have alternated wins and losses through 16 games this month, which is most likely the reason why they're fading from the National League playoff picture.
Tonight they'll try to start a winning streak in the first of three straight games against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.
Colorado should probably give up on trying to win the NL West since it's currently 11 games behind San Diego, but still has life in the wild card chase at six games off the pace.
The Rockies lost two of three meetings at Los Angeles and suffered a 2-0 loss in Thursday's series finale. Starting pitcher Jorge De La Rosa was solid in seven innings and allowed a costly two-run home run to Reed Johnson in the second inning to suffer the loss.
"The job De La Rosa did was terrific," Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. "He gave us a chance to win. He paid for one pitch up in the zone to Reed Johnson. We just couldn't hit."
Tracy's club had just two hits from Dexter Fowler and Troy Tulowitzki. NL MVP candidate Carlos Gonzalez didn't play Thursday because of an injured right knee and may not see action again tonight for Colorado. He is hitting .325 with 18 homers and 79 runs batted in this season.
Esmil Rogers will take the mound for Colorado tonight and he's 2-2 with a 5.01 earned run average in 15 games (4 starts) this season. He previously pitched in last Saturday's 5-4 loss versus Milwaukee and did not record a decision, despite yielding four runs on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Rogers, a right-hander, threw a scoreless inning of relief against Arizona in an 8-2 win on May 27 this season. It was his first appearance against the Diamondbacks.
Arizona has lost four in a row and was just swept in three games by the Cincinnati Reds in the desert. In Thursday's 9-5 loss in the series finale, Chris Young hit a three-run homer and Mark Reynolds added a solo shot.
"Even though we didn't win any games in this series..." Young said on the team's site before hesitating. "You know, actually, never mind. We played a couple of bad games in this series."
Joe Saunders pitched the first six innings for the D'Backs and suffered the loss for allowing four runs and eight hits with five K's and three walks. D.J. Carrasco was reached for five unearned runs in relief.
Ian Kennedy draws the start for the Diamondbacks tonight and he has won four of his last six starts. He defeated the Washington Nationals on the road last Saturday and tossed seven innings of two-run ball with seven K's. He improved to 7-9 with a 4.38 ERA in 24 starts in his first season with the club.
The righty is 0-1 in two career starts against the Rockies.
Colorado has won five of nine matchups with Arizona this season.