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Colorado Rockies Game No. 17 Preview: Troy Tulowitzki sits in series opener against Giants

The defending world champs make their first trip of 2015 to Coors Field.

Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports

Fresh off a sweep of their rival Dodgers, the San Francisco Giants come to Coors Field tonight to take on the Rockies.

The Rockies lineup tonight is without shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who will be sitting for the second time this season. Daniel Descalso, Wednesday night's hero, will take Tulowitzki's spot in the lineup. Tulowitzki could be a pinch hitter in a late-game situation against one of the Giants' two lefty specialists, Jeremy Affeldt or Javier Lopez.

Tonight's matchup features a pair of rookies on the mound in the Giants' Chris Heston and Eddie Butler for the Rockies.

Heston will be making his fifth career start tonight, having just 26 major league innings under his belt, 19⅔ of which have come at AT&T Park. He has not pitched at Coors Field.

While Heston will miss facing Tulowitzki, he will have to take on the rest of the Rockies' regulars. Nolan Arenado will bat third behind Charlie Blackmon and Corey Dickerson, with Justin Morneau batting cleanup, Nick Hundley hitting fifth and Carlos Gonzalez hitting sixth.

Butler will make his seventh career start and fourth this year. He has pitched just 16 innings in his first three starts, all on the road, with a 2.25 ERA and 1.63 WHIP. Butler's WHIP is mainly high because of the 11 walks he has issued, six of which came against the Giants on April 13.

The Giants will have a lineup against the Rockies that features Justin Maxwell in right field in place of Nori Aoki and Casey McGehee, who missed the first series between the teams, at third base.