(My Sportsbook) - Dan Haren hopes his string of hard-luck starts comes to an end when the Arizona hurler takes the hill for the Diamondbacks in today's rubber match of a three-game series with the
Colorado Rockies at Chase Field.
Haren has allowed only four runs and 12 hits through 19 innings over his first three starts of 2009, but was saddled with the loss in all of those games due an unbelievable lack of offensive support. The Diamondbacks have scored a mere one run in Haren's three outings.
One of Haren's setbacks came to the Rockies in Phoenix earlier this month, when the All-Star right-hander was outdueled by Ubaldo Jimenez in a 3-0 Colorado win on April 7. Haren limited the opposition to one run and three hits on that night, while striking out nine Rockies without issuing a walk.
That loss dropped Haren to 3-3 in seven lifetime starts against Colorado, although he's pitched to a solid 3.48 earned run average during that stretch.
The 28-year-old was sharp again in his last mound trip, holding San Francisco to a run and fanning six over six frames in his team's shutout loss to the Giants on Friday.
Haren could be in for another frustrating start this afternoon if his counterpart, Jorge De La Rosa, repeats his most recent performance for the Rockies.
De La Rosa fired 5 1/3 shutout innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday, working around four walks and striking out five batters, but was denied his first victory of the season after the Colorado bullpen gave up four runs in the bottom of the seventh.
In his season debut, De La Rosa was dealt a home loss by Philadelphia on April 11 after permitting five runs on six hits in just 4 2/3 innings of work.
The Mexican left-hander owns a 1-1 record with a strong 2.53 ERA in seven career appearances against Arizona, three of which have been starts. He struggled in his only start at Chase Field in 2008, however, surrendering four runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings of a 4-3 Rockies loss last May.
Colorado lost 15 of 18 meetings with Arizona last year, including eight of nine matchups held at Chase Field, but the club has fared much better against the Diamondbacks so far in 2009. The Rockies took two of three games from their fellow National League West members in Phoenix to open the season, and have split the first two tests of this set following Tuesday's 9-6 triumph.
The Rockies trailed 6-3 after five innings but moved in front with a four-run sixth capped by Brad Hawpe's go-ahead two-RBI single off reliever Juan Gutierrez (0-1).
Todd Helton also helped Colorado halt a four-game losing streak by going 3- for-5 with a homer, three RBI and three runs scored at the plate. Garrett Atkins collected three hits as well for the Rockies, who improved to 2-5 on an eight-game road trip that concludes today.
Matt Belisle (1-0) picked up the win with 1 2/3 perfect innings of relief, with Manny Corpas tossing a scoreless ninth to notch his first save of the season.
Mark Reynolds had a two-run homer and Chris Young and Eric Byrnes added solo shots for Arizona, which fell for the seventh time in its last 10 games.
Diamondbacks starter Yusmeiro Petit worked the first five innings and allowed three runs -- two earned -- on eight hits.