Rockies Video

Rogers' solid relief effort

Rogers' strong start

Cardinals Video

Suppan's scoreless start

Suppan's strong start

After falling out of postseason contention, the Rockies have continued to fall, dropping seven straight contests entering the season's final day. Colorado had injury added to insult this weekend with Miguel Olivio's concussion suffered when Albert Pujols' bat hit his head during a backswing. Olivio is done for the season.

With the Rockies eliminated from contention, manager Jim Tracy isn't going to put any of his players in a position to get hurt on the season's final day.

"You just pray and you keep our fingers crossed that by [Sunday] later in the afternoon, you can walk out of here with your group and they're all coming with you," Tracy said. "None of them are injured, and none of it has any significance to where it could spill itself into 2011."

On the other side of the field, Cards starter Jeff Suppan would like to have a good day to spill over into next season. Suppan, who took the rotation spot of rookie Jaime Garcia, has performed very well in that role. It hasn't been a great year for Suppan, but the Cards will take his four total earned runs in the last 15 1/3 innings.

Suppan, acquired from the Brewers earlier this year, hasn't put up the numbers (2-8, 4.20) that would ensure the Cards would try to bring him back for 2011, but another strong outing could impress the club or draw the attention of another club looking for a veteran presence.

Rockies: Rogers gets another look as starter
After Tracy announced that Jeff Francis wouldn't make his final start of the 2010 season, Esmil Rogers was awarded the ball in the season finale. Rogers has made seven starts this season, in between bullpen stints. He has struggled lately though, allowing the Giants five earned runs without recording an out in a relief outing last week. After that, Rogers provided four solid innings out of the 'pen. With Francis' struggles, Rogers will get the chance to redeem himself further as the season draws to a close.

Cardinals: Pujols needs double to join rare club
Albert Pujols was out of the Cards' starting lineup on Saturday. But in Sunday's season finale, the slugger has a chance to join a very elite group. With just one more double, Pujols would tie Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig as the only players in Major League history to hit 30 doubles, 40 homers and steal at least 10 bases in more than one season. That additional two-bagger would also award Pujols his seventh career season of 40 doubles and 100 RBIs, passing Stan Musial and Ducky Medwick's six seasons of the feat.

Worth noting
With his game-winning single on Saturday, Matt Holliday continues to terrorize his former teams. Holliday has now hit .527 (19-36) with seven homers and 13 RBIs against the Rockies and A's. ... Colorado owns the league's best record in day games this season at 34-21. ... The Rockies have scored just one run over their last three contests.