Carlos Zambrano is enjoying a fresh start with the Miami Marlins.
The right-hander hopes to continue his resurgence Wednesday night while looking to help the Marlins set a franchise record for victories in May by handing the visiting Colorado Rockies a season-high seventh consecutive defeat.
The often volatile Zambrano (2-2, 1.96 ERA) appears to have regained the form that made him an All-Star three times from 2004 to 2008 with the Cubs. He's allowed three earned runs and 17 hits over 30 innings while going 2-0 in his last four starts.
He yielded two of those runs and overcame five walks in seven innings of a 3-2 victory at Cleveland on Friday.
"He's more of a pitcher now," Indians manager Manny Acta said. "He's not trying to blow the ball by people. He's got good movement on his pitches. He's cutting the ball and throwing off-speed stuff."
Zambrano, who turns 31 on June 1, is 2-4 with a 3.13 ERA in eight starts against the Rockies, but he has not faced them since 2007.
The veteran looks to help the Marlins sweep Colorado at home for the first time since Aug. 27-29, 2004. Hanley Ramirez had three hits with two RBIs and Giancarlo Stanton added a pair of hits as Miami (24-19) won its third straight game to improve to a major league-best 16-5 in May, 7-6 over the Rockies on Tuesday.
Stanton, who hit the left field scoreboard with a grand slam in Monday's 7-4 win, has batted .367 with five homers and 13 RBIs in his last eight games versus Colorado.
Losers in 15 of 18, the Rockies (15-27) are in the midst of their longest skid since dropping nine straight Sept. 15-23.
Michael Cuddyer had three hits, including two doubles, and drove in a run for the Rockies. He is 7 for 10 with five doubles and three RBIs in the last three games after going 3 for 27 in his previous six contests.
Colorado starting pitchers, however, have posted an 8.04 ERA during the six-game losing streak.
"We've played two games in this series, and we've scored seven runs in the top of the first inning, and let them right back in within a few hitters," manager Jim Tracy said.
Alex White (0-3, 5.09) looks to avoid a fourth straight losing start Wednesday since joining the Rockies rotation. The right-hander gave up three runs and struck out seven without a walk in a season-high seven innings of a 4-0 loss to Seattle on Friday.
Colorado has totaled six runs in the three starts by White, 0-6 with a 6.75 ERA since beating Cincinnati on Sept. 10.
"My job is to keep the team in the game, get deep in the ballgame and give us a chance to win," White told the Rockies' official website.
He has never faced the Marlins in his previous 13 major league outings.
White is likely to face Miami second baseman Omar Infante, who is expected to return after missing the last three games due to the death of his grandmother. He's hitting .326 with six home runs and 20 RBIs in 36 games.
