There isn’t much more that can be said about the Colorado Rockies. For all intents and purposes, they are bad. Nothing is working for them as they have a 7-24 record and sit at the bottom of the National League standings. They were just swept by the Miami Marlins (who had a worse record than them) and now head to the Steel City to face a tough pitching matchup for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates got off to a hot start to the season but have seen their offense falter as of late while pitching has remained solid. The series represents a chance for either team to turn the page and try to get back on track.

Pitching Probables

5/3: Cal Quantrill (0-3, 5.34 ERA) vs. Martín Pérez (1-1, 2.86 ERA)

5/4: Austin Gomber (0-2, 4.50 ERA) vs. Jared Jones (2-3, 3.18 ERA)

5/5: Ryan Feltner (1-2, 5.13 ERA) vs. Bailey Falter (2-2, 4.22 ERA)

Offensive woes

The Pirates, led by a blend of promising young talent and seasoned veterans, are on a mission to rebuild and reestablish themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the National League. Despite their struggles in recent seasons, the Pirates have shown glimpses of potential but have often fallen short. Their offense has been their biggest shortcoming. The Pirates rank 26th in Major League Baseball with just 24 home runs as a team while they have combined to rank 28th in MLB with a team slugging percentage of just .335 this season. Their 118 runs scores ranked just ahead of the Rockies at 117. In many ways, both teams are struggling with the same issues as the Rockies are either tied or just a few ticks higher in MLB rankings than the Pirates. Runs have come at a premium, meaning that much like the series against the Miami Marlins, whoever can hit with runners in scoring position will have a major advantage.

Pitching staff

Unlike the offense, the starting rotation has been fairly strong to begin the year. The surprise arrival of Jared Jones as an elite rotation member has been a big boost for the Pirates as Mitch Keller has struggled out of the gate. It’s only a matter of time until Paul Skenes makes the roster but for now, they will send two of their best starters to the mound in the series. The Rockies’ rotation sports the highest ERA in all of baseball while also not striking out many batters and walking some of the most batters in the game. While not spectacular, they have turned in serviceable outings lately, but with the struggling offense, every run against them feels like a nail in a coffin.

Turn the page

The Rockies have now trailed in 31 consecutive games to begin the season, extending their modern-era record. Following their loss to the Marlins, the Rockies reportedly held a closed-door team meeting to try and address their struggles as a team as they now sit in the basement of the MLB standings. They are the only team to not win a series this season and have yet to win consecutive games. Nothing has been working for them as strikeouts have run rampant at the plate and have prevented them from stringing together the big hit. Their bad luck may continue as they face two of the best starters for the Pirates.