Colorado Rockies at Pittsburgh Pirates

PNC Park, Tuesday night, and the Pirates are running their ace out against a Rockies team that's been getting bludgeoned for a month. Skenes is 5-2 with a 2.36 ERA and coming off 8 scoreless against the Diamondbacks in a 1-0 win where he didn't allow a baserunner until the 5th. The Pirates are scoring 7.25 runs per game in his starts this year after backing him with a measly 3.4 last season. That's the whole story of why Pittsburgh is 22-19 instead of buried.

Colorado Rockies

(16-25)

LWWLL

Pittsburgh Pirates

(22-19)

WWLWL

On the other side: Michael Lorenzen, 2-4, 6.92. His home ERA at Coors was 9.64 through 4 starts, which somehow undersells the damage — opponents are running a .456 BABIP against him there. Getting out of altitude theoretically helps. Theoretically. He told reporters after the Mets start he feels great mechanically, which is the kind of thing pitchers say when nothing else is working.

The Rockies injury list is grim. Kris Bryant's back still won't let him do baseball activities. Ryan Feltner and Jeff Criswell are working back through rehab. Jared Thomas hasn't played since offseason wrist surgery. McCade Brown, Pierson Ohl, and RJ Petit are all on the 60-day. Colorado isn't sending its best — Colorado doesn't have a best.

Colorado Rockies

(10)

• Day-To-DayBrayan Castillo RP — The Rockies announced Monday that Castillo is dealing with right lat tightness and has been shut down from throwing while undergoing treatment for the injury, TheDNVR.com reports.
• Day-To-DayCase Williams SP — Williams is currently slowed by a stress reaction in his right triceps, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.
• Day-To-DayJared Thomas CF — The Rockies announced Monday that Thomas hasn't been participating in spring training while he recovers from offseason surgery to address a fractured hamate bone in his right wrist, TheDNVR.com reports.
• BereavementJimmy Herget RP — The Rockies moved Herget (personal) to the bereavement/family medical emergency list Saturday.
• 15-Day-ILRyan Feltner SP — Feltner (elbow) threw a bullpen session Tuesday and is likely to begin a rehab assignment shortly, MLB.com reports.
• 60-Day-ILRJ Petit RP — The Rockies transferred Petit (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Thursday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.
• 60-Day-ILMcCade Brown SP — The Rockies transferred Brown (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list Saturday.
• 60-Day-ILPierson Ohl RP — The Rockies placed Ohl (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.

Pittsburgh Pirates

(8)

• Day-To-DayAnthony Solometo SP — Solometo is sidelined at Double-A Altoona with recurring left shoulder discomfort, Jose Negron of DK Pittsburgh Sports reports.
• Day-To-DayOddanier Mosqueda RP — Mosqueda will not throw for a couple weeks due to left forearm inflammation, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
• Day-To-DayMike Clevinger RP — Clevinger is expected to be sidelined for around six weeks after being diagnosed with an MCL sprain in his right knee, Jason Mackey of MLB.com reports.
• Day-To-DayDominic Fletcher RF — Fletcher (shoulder) had his rehab assignment transferred to Triple-A Charlotte on Thursday and went 2-for-7 with a solo home run and a walk in his first two rehab games with the club.
• Day-To-DaySean Sullivan SP — Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Sullivan is battling right elbow soreness, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
• 10-Day-ILJake Mangum LF — The Pirates placed Mangum on the 10-day injured list Friday with a left hamstring strain, retroactive to Wednesday.
• 15-Day-ILChris Devenski RP — The Pirates placed Devenski on the 15-day injured list Thursday due to an illness.
• 60-Day-ILJared Jones SP — Jones (elbow) will make a third start with Double-A Altoona on Tuesday, Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.

Pittsburgh has its own dings — Jared Jones is still building back at Double-A, Jake Mangum hit the 10-day with a hamstring, and Mike Clevinger's looking at 6 weeks with an MCL sprain — but none of that matters tonight because Skenes is on the mound and the bullpen only has to cover the last out or two.

Pinnacle has Pittsburgh at -317 with the total at 7.5. Steep price, but you see why — one of the worst offenses in baseball staring down a Cy Young front-runner on his home mound. The interesting question isn't who wins, it's whether the Rockies put up a crooked number at all.