MLB Game Preview - Arizona at Colorado

Wed May 29, 2019 8:40 PM EDT

Jeff Hoffman struggled in his second start of the season Friday, but he came through for the Colorado Rockies when he delivered the winning run as a pinch runner two days later.

The right-hander hopes to deliver a win when he is on the mound Wednesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He will face left-hander Robbie Ray in the third of a four-game series that wraps up Thursday afternoon.

Hoffman (0-1, 8.10 ERA) was called up Friday from Triple-A Albuquerque to face the Baltimore Orioles. He lasted only five innings, giving up five runs on seven hits but was rescued from a loss by a late Colorado rally.

Then on Sunday, he was sent in to pinch-run in the ninth inning. Hoffman was on third base when Tony Wolters hit a fly ball to left, and he tagged up and scored the winning run.

So even if he hasn't been able to get a victory on the mound, he still helped the team get a victory over the Orioles.

"I was always knew Hoff was going to do something," Wolters joked after the 8-7 decision.

Colorado has won three in a row after beating Arizona 6-2 on Tuesday night.

Hoffman faces a Diamondbacks team he has yet to get a win against in his career. The 26-year-old is 0-2 with a 10.38 ERA in four games (two starts) against Arizona. He owns a 14.21 ERA in two games (one start) vs. the Diamondbacks at Coors Field.

Ray (4-1, 3.26 ERA) is only one year older than Hoffman, but he is a veteran of 13 matchups, all starts, against the Rockies. The only teams he has faced more often are the Los Angeles Dodgers (16 appearances) and the San Diego Padres (14). He is 4-4 with a 5.43 ERA vs. Colorado overall, though he is 2-1 with a 3.69 ERA in six starts at Coors Field.

Ray will try to close out a strong May on a high note, too. He is 3-0 with a 2.10 ERA in five starts in the month, which he began against the Rockies on May 3. He got the victory in that game after the Diamondbacks survived a late rally in the ninth inning, though he allowed five runs (one earned) in 5 2/3 innings.

Ray is coming off one of his better starts of the season. He held the San Francisco Giants to two runs over 5 1/3 innings and struck out nine in an 18-2 Arizona win on Friday. He retired 13 straight batters at one point, piling up eight of his strikeouts in that span.

"That was me at my best," said Ray, who also showed some skills at the plate with a two-run single.

Ray has yet to pitch beyond the sixth inning in his 11 starts this year, and he is averaging 5 1/3 innings per outing.

A deeper start would help the Diamondbacks, who are still waiting on a second opinion regarding Luke Weaver's forearm strain. The initial diagnosis didn't reveal a major injury, though Weaver was placed on the 10-day injured list on Monday.

"I'm going to remain optimistic," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said, according to the Arizona Republic. "I live in the clouds where the rainbows and butterflies fly every single day."

--Field Level Media