The defending NL champion Rockies (28-41) opened the season 1-5 before winning three straight over Atlanta (34-36) from April 7-9. The final game of the scheduled four-game set was postponed due to snow.

Following the April series, Colorado won five of its next eight to move into second place in the division, but trips to the disabled list for Troy Tulowitzki, Matt Holliday, Brad Hawpe and Clint Barmes stalled the Rockies' momentum.

A season-worst eight-game losing streak May 26-June 2 dropped Colorado 12 games behind NL West-leading Arizona, but the Rockies have slowly been regrouping.

They defeated the Chicago White Sox 5-3 on Sunday for their eighth win in 11 games. They are now 8 1/2 games behind the Diamondbacks.

"Even when we were losing, we still felt like (our starting pitchers) were going to throw well," first baseman Todd Helton told the Rockies' official Web site. "I think that attitude got us through some rough patches."

Colorado starter Ubaldo Jimenez (1-6, 4.93 ERA) defeated the Braves in his second start of the season, giving up three runs in six innings of a 4-3 victory April 8, but is winless in 12 starts since.

The right-hander, though, is coming off one of his best starts of 2008. He allowed four hits in seven innings of a 1-0 win over San Francisco on Wednesday, although he did not factor in the decision.

Holliday, who came off the DL Tuesday, went 6-for-13 (.462) with a homer and six RBIs in the April series against the Braves earlier this season. He is batting .391 (18-for-46) with four home runs and 17 RBIs during a 10-game hitting streak versus Atlanta.

Atlanta has dropped seven of its last nine games, including a 2-0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.

Chipper Jones is 2-for-15 in four games since returning to the lineup after suffering a small tear in his right quadriceps muscle. Jones, whose major league-leading average has fallen to .402, went 4-for-13 (.308) with three RBIs at Coors Field earlier this season.

Braves left fielder Brandon Jones went 6-for-11 in the Angels series after being recalled from Triple-A Richmond on Wednesday.

"He's picked it up," manager Bobby Cox said. "He was always our number one hitting prospect in the organization for the last three or four years."

Jair Jurrjens (6-3, 3.77) makes his first start in 10 days for Atlanta.

The right-hander had been scheduled to start Wednesday against the Chicago Cubs, but was scratched after twisting his ankle on some steps outside of the clubhouse at Wrigley Field the previous night.

In his last start on June 5, Jurrjens allowed five runs and a career-high 11 hits in six innings of a 7-5 victory over Florida. He has yielded 14 runs and 28 hits in 15 innings over his last three outings.

Jurrjens also opposed Jimenez in April, and took the loss after allowing four runs and nine hits in seven innings.