(Best E Casino) - Jeff Francis tries to string back-to-back wins together for the first time this season this afternoon when the Colorado Rockies play the second of three games against the New York Mets at Coors Field.

Francis defeated the Minnesota Twins on Sunday, surrendering two runs and six hits in 6 1/3 frames, as he improved to 1-4 to go along with a 5.87 earned run average. He had served up eight runs and 13 hits in 4 2/3 innings in his previous start against Arizona.

The 27-year-old lefty has faced the Mets three times in his career and has posted a 2-1 mark with a 4.15 ERA.

Heading to the hill tonight for the Mets will be right-hander Claudio Vargas, who will be pitching on three days' rest. Vargas was tagged with the loss in the second game of the Mets' doubleheader with the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday, giving up four runs and five hits in five innings, dropping him to 0-2 on the season, while raising his earned run average to 4.76.

Vargas is 4-1 lifetime against the Rockies with a 5.16 ERA in nine games, eight of which have been starts.

In a wild opener to this set on Friday, Matt Holliday hit the game-tying home run off Billy Wagner in the ninth inning and singled in the game-winning run in the 13th, as Colorado eked out a 6-5 win.

It made a winner out of Taylor Buchholz (2-2), who threw three innings of scoreless relief. Aaron Heilman (0-1) threw a scoreless 12th inning before suffering the loss.

Clint Barmes had two doubles and two RBI before leaving in the 10th inning with an apparent knee injury, while Garret Atkins finished 3-for-5 with a two-run homer. Todd Helton added a pair of hits for Colorado, which snapped a two-game losing streak. Also injured was Rockies center fielder Willy Taveras, another apparent knee injury.

Rockies starter Greg Reynolds threw six innings and gave up four runs on four hits and three walks. Jason Grilli gave up a run in relief, but Manny Corpas and Brian Fuentes each threw a scoreless inning to get the game to Buchholz.

Carlos Delgado hit a two-run homer for New York, which has lost a season-high five straight. Fernando Tatis -- a substitute for outfielder Marlon Anderson, who left in the fourth with a strained hamstring -- went 2-for-3 with his first home run since August 17, 2006.

New York hasn't dropped six in a row since September 5-10, 2005.

Mets starter Oliver Perez struggled in five-plus innings, as he gave up four runs on six hits and eight walks.

Colorado defeated the Mets four of the six times it played them last season and New York has dropped five in a row at Coors Field.