Rockies Look to Shake Road Woes in Milwaukee Matinee

The Rockies roll into American Family Field on Friday afternoon carrying all the baggage that comes with playing baseball at altitude—namely, a pitching staff that gets shelled the moment they leave Coors Field. Milwaukee has been quietly competent at home this summer, and they'll be licking their chops at the sight of Colorado's travel-weary arms.

Colorado's offense can mash when the conditions are right, but road games are a different animal. The thin air advantage evaporates, and suddenly those gap-to-gap doubles turn into routine fly outs. The Brewers counter with a rotation that's been stingy in the friendly confines, keeping the ball on the ground and letting their infield defense do the dirty work.

Milwaukee's lineup has enough thump in the middle order to exploit Colorado's inevitable bullpen implosion—something that happens with alarming regularity once the Rockies venture east of the Rockies. The home squad should control this one from the fifth inning onward.

Expect the Brewers to grind out a workmanlike victory here. Colorado might hang around early, but class and home-field comfort tend to win out in these mismatches. Brew Crew gets it done before happy hour.