Vargas (8-8, 5.10)
Day (1-2, 6.64)
- Craig Counsell, 2B
- Chad Tracy, RF
- Luis Gonzalez, LF
- Troy Glaus, 3B
- Shawn Green, CF
- Conor Jackson, 1B
- Royce Clayton, SS
- Kelly Stinnett, C
- Claudio Vargas, P
After a series of disappointing starts - ERA 8.47 over the past three games - Coors Field is probably not the place Claudio Vargas wanted to find himself today. But that's the way the lineups crumble, and with the strong performance from Estes yesterday, Vargas is perhaps pitching for his spot in the rotation. If he needs any inspiration, he can look over at the bullpen and see Halsey rusting gently - "pour encourager les autres", as they say.
Jackson gets the start at first base, with last night's homer-hero, Tracy, batting second. They face Zach Day, who is making his second start since returning from injury - last time out, he allowed two earned runs and seven hits in five innings. Let's see if we can make it four wins in five games: if our hitters remain as solid as last time, I'm optimistic. San Diego and San Francisco have both lost already, so a win would put us back into a tie for second.