The set-up: The Rockies surprised almost all observers by going 87-75 last season to earn a wild card spot, after entering 2017 on a run of six consecutive sub-.500 seasons. Colorado closed April on a three-game losing streak but they have been unbeatable so far in May. Colorado looks to extend its month-opening winning streak to seven games when it hosts the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday afternoon for the finale of its two-game interleague series. The Rockies finished their 6-3 road trip with five consecutive victories before returning home to post a 4-2 win over the Angels on Tuesday. Los Angeles managed only six hits and was kept off the scoreboard for the first seven innings as it dropped to 2-2 on its five-game road trip. The Rockies are now 21-15, having closed within 3 1/2 games of the first-place Arizona in the NL West. As for the Angels, after a 13-3 start, they are 8-11 since, checking in at 21-14 (a half-game behind the first-place Astros in the AL West).

The pitching matchup: Jaime Barria (2-1, 3.46 ERA) will be handed the ball by the Angels and will go up against Colorado lefty Tyler Anderson (2-0, 3.78 ERA). Barria bounced back from a difficult outing to defeat Baltimore on Thursday, allowing two runs and four hits over six innings in his third major-league start. He had lasted only two-plus innings against San Francisco in his previous start throwing 77 pitches while yielding two runs and five hits. Barria is the first Panamanian-born pitcher in Angels history. He was 0-0 with a 2.92 ERA this season in three starts at Triple-A Salt Lake, before making his major league debut April 11. He was optioned back to Salt Lake before returning to the Angels for an eventful start April 22 against San Francisco (see earlier). Anderson has registered only two decisions in his seven 2018 starts this season but both are victories. One of those victories was in his last outing, when he recorded a season-high nine strikeouts while giving up only two runs and three hits over seven innings in an 11-2 win at Chicago over the Cubs. Anderson will be facing Los Angeles for the first time and is a modest 1-2 in four career interleague starts.

The pick: Anderson has seen the Rockies go 5-2 in his seven starts this season and he takes the mound here, looking to extend a record run by the Colorado starters on Wednesday. The Rockies have won nine of their past 12 games, a stretch in which the starters have a 1.55 ERA with 11 quality starts. The lone exception was Anderson's outing at Miami on April 27, when he had to leave in the second because he was light-headed and short of breath. I don't expect a repeat of that here. Make Colorado an 8* play.