(Best E Casino) - Pittsburgh starter Ian Snell will try to halt a four-start winless skid when the Pirates resume a four-game series with the Colorado Rockies tonight at Coors Field.

Snell has posted three straight no-decisions since taking a loss versus the White Sox on June 17. He hasn't lasted longer than five innings in any of his four recent starts, including Sunday versus the Cardinals, when he gave up four runs on five hits with six strikeouts over five innings.

Pittsburgh's Opening Day starter, the right-handed Snell is just 3-7 with a 5.92 earned run average on the season. The 26-year-old posted nine wins and a 3.76 ERA in 32 starts for the Pirates last year.

In two career starts and one relief outing versus the Rockies, Snell is 1-1 with a 4.72 ERA.

The Pirates jumped out to an early three-run lead in last night's series opener, thanks to a wild pitch by Colorado starter Ubaldo Jimenez that scored a run and a two-RBI double by Adam LaRoche. However, the Rockies went on to score the next five runs for a 5-3 victory and hand Pittsburgh its third loss in four games.

Chris Iannetta clubbed a two-run homer and also had an RBI single for the Rockies, who snapped a four-game losing streak. Jeff Baker doubled twice and knocked in a run, while Garrett Atkins finished 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.

Iannetta has now homered in three of his last seven games and is batting .320 (8-for-25) with 10 RBI in that span.

Glendon Rusch is set to make his fourth appearance and third start of the season for the Rockies tonight. The left-hander began the season in San Diego's bullpen and is 2-3 with a 6.25 ERA in two starts and 13 relief outings overall this year.

Rusch hasn't pitched since July 9, but did get the win on that day after holding the Brewers to a run on five hits over six innings. He is 2-7 with a 4.45 ERA in 24 career games (15 starts) versus Pittsburgh.

Pirates outfielder Jason Bay has hit safely in 19 of his last 21 games, hitting .390 (25-for-81) with five homers and 16 RBI over that stretch. Bay is a career .378 hitter (17-for-45) at Coors Field, but is 0-for-10 lifetime versus Rusch.

These two clubs are meeting for the first time in 2008. Although Colorado won four of seven last year in the series, the Pirates won three of the four tests played at Coors Field.