PREVIEW: PITTSBURGH PIRATES vs. COLORADO ROCKIES PITTSBURGH (Interstat) — The Pittsburgh Pirates look to regain their footing in the National League Central when they host the Colorado Rockies on Thursday evening at PNC Park. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m., with rain in the forecast and temperatures around 66 degrees. Pittsburgh (23-20) enters the finale of a three-game series after splitting the first two. The Pirates won Tuesday’s opener 3-1, but Colorado (17-26) evened the set Wednesday with a 10-4 victory behind a five-RBI performance from Mickey Moniak. The Pirates are projected as heavy favorites. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 7-2 Pittsburgh win, with an ELO system giving the Pirates a 69.1 percent chance of victory. Pittsburgh is listed as a -1.5 run favorite, with an over/under of 8 total runs. Colorado will start right-hander Chase Dollander (3-2) on the mound. Dollander has been effective this season but faces a Pittsburgh lineup that produced 17 runs earlier this month against Cincinnati. Carmen Mlodzinski (2-3) also is listed as a probable pitcher for Colorado, though the club has not confirmed which pitcher will start Thursday. Both are expected to be available out of the bullpen if not starting. The Pirates’ probable starter was not announced. Players to Watch Mickey Moniak has been Colorado’s most productive hitter of late. In his past seven games, Moniak has batted .357 (10-for-28) with two home runs and nine RBIs. He keyed Wednesday’s rout with a home run and five RBIs, and he added a hit in Tuesday’s series opener. Over the season series, Moniak is 4-for-8 with one homer and five RBIs. For Pittsburgh, Ryan O’Hearn has been inconsistent but remains a threat. In Wednesday’s loss, O’Hearn went 2-for-4 with a home run and an RBI. Over his past 10 games, O’Hearn is batting .222 (6-for-27) with one homer and seven RBIs. He has yet to record a hit in consecutive games during that stretch. Series and Recent Results The Rockies have won three of their past five games, including two of three at Philadelphia before splitting the first two in Pittsburgh. Colorado’s bullpen has been shaky, allowing 19 runs over the past six games. Pittsburgh has lost three of its past four after winning four straight. The Pirates’ offense scored 13 runs in a win at San Francisco on May 9, but has managed only one run in two of the past four contests. Next Up Colorado hosts Arizona on Friday to open a three-game series. Pittsburgh welcomes Philadelphia for a three-game set starting Friday before embarking on a six-game road trip to St. Louis and Toronto.