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The baseball season is a long one, so players, coaches and managers gladly welcome any variation to the schedule.

The Colorado Rockies and Houston Astros will experience that change this weekend when they play a two-game set in the Mexico City Series. The Rockies will send Cal Quantrill (0-2, 4.33 ERA) to the mound against the Astros’ Ronel Blanco (2-0, 1.33) on Saturday in a battle of right-handers.

“It’s going to be exciting,” Houston outfielder Chas McCormick said. “To be able to go to Mexico and play in a (different) stadium, it’s going to be a good time. I think it’s going to be beautiful there and it’s always nice to play in warm weather. Just play against the Rockies and spread the Astros and Rockies around in Mexico, it’s a beautiful thing.”

The games in Mexico City are part of the MLB World Tour that started with the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers playing in Seoul, South Korea, in March and precedes a series between the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets in London this summer.

The fans in Mexico City will get to see established stars like Astros infielders Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve and Colorado’s young shortstop Ezequiel Tovar. And the players will get to experience a new culture.

“It’ll be cool,” Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon said. “I’ll get a taste of their culture and go play some baseball games. It should be fun. We’ve got an off-day before the game. Jake Cave was telling me there is a really cool museum right there in Mexico City. I might swing over there to check it out with him.”

The trip south also may take the attention away from the poor start by both teams. Houston has lost five straight and eight of its last nine to fall 12 games below .500.

“It’s like a slap in the face,” center fielder Mauricio Dubon said. “There’s no other way to put it. We’ve just got to find ways. Things are not going our way right now (in) the first 26 games … It just (stinks).”

Blanco can help turn things around, as could the return of Framber Valdez, who is expected to be activated off the injured list to start Sunday’s game. Blanco has pitched well in his four starts this season — including an April 1 no-hitter against Toronto — but has never faced Colorado.

Quantrill is in search of his first victory with the Rockies despite having a quality start in each of his last three outings. He has faced the Astros five times (three starts) and is 1-1 with a 2.75 ERA in those outings.

Colorado still is looking for its first series win this season but is coming off a confidence-building 10-9 win over San Diego on Thursday. The Rockies scored six runs in the eighth inning to earn a split of the four games with the Padres.

“We’re off to a tough start, so every (win) we get, we feel good about it,” Colorado manager Bud Black said. “If we stay at it, we know some numbers are going to turn around. These types of wins really help.”

–Field Level Media