Diamondbacks @ Rockies

Who will WIN this matchup?

Arizona Diamondbacks (2-3)

@ Colorado Rockies (1-4)

Starting Pitchers:

Kelly (ARI): 0-1; 6.75 ERA

Gray (COL) 0-0; 1.80 ERA

Current odds:

Arizona Diamondbacks: (+115)

Colorado Rockies: (-125)

•  Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Merrill Kelly faces a tough task as he tries to rebound from a poor first start of the season. Kelly (0-1, 6.75 ERA) will take the mound Thursday afternoon in one of baseball’s most intimidating venues, Coors Field. He will oppose right-hander Jon Gray (0-0, 1.80 ERA) and the Colorado Rockies in the finale of a three-game series at Denver.

•  The teams split the first contests, with Arizona winning 10-8 in 13 innings Tuesday before Colorado prevailed 8-0 Wednesday.

•  Kelly struggled in his first start of 2021 on Friday at San Diego. He allowed three runs on five hits and three walks while striking out four in four innings. He threw 94 pitches due in large part to 23-pitch second inning and a 28-pitch third inning.

•  Kelly, 32, is in his third major-league season but is a graybeard in comparison to most players with that limited service time. He made his major-league debut in 2019 after a lengthy stint in South Korean baseball, and he finished 13-14 in 32 starts as a rookie for the Diamondbacks. Thursday will be the fourth time Kelly will face Colorado and his third time pitching in Denver. He is 1-2 with a 7.64 ERA in 17 2/3 overall innings against the Rockies. He is 1-1 with a 7.71 ERA in his two outings at Coors Field.

•  Gray was pitching well in his first start Saturday against the Los Angeles Dodgers before leaving after facing one batter in the sixth. He shut out the defending champs through five innings, but full-body cramps forced him out of a game Colorado was leading 2-0 at the time. Los Angeles rallied to win 6-5.

•  Gray has had mixed results in 12 career starts against Arizona in the regular season. He is 4-5 with a 5.34 ERA against the Diamondbacks but has had more success against them when pitching on the road. He is 0-3 with a 7.80 in six starts against Arizona in Colorado. Gray started one postseason game against the Diamondbacks, the 2017 National League wild-card game, and he was hit hard. He lasted just 1 1/3 innings and gave up four runs on seven hits.

•  One Diamondbacks hitter Gray might not get to face Thursday is center fielder Ketel Marte, who exited the Wednesday game due to a right leg injury. Marte got hurt running out a sixth-inning grounder.