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DENVER (AP) — The 38-year-old All-Star outfielder sauntered into the Colorado clubhouse at Coors Field and instantly felt like a rookie again.Matt Holliday was back at home.The Rockies selected the contract of Holliday from Triple-A Albuquerque on Thursday after he signed a minor league deal last month.A seventh-round pick in 1998 by Colorado Ken Griffey Jersey , Holliday played the first five seasons of his 14-year career with the Rockies, hitting .290 as a rookie in 2004 and helping lead Colorado to its only World Series appearance in 2007.He’s hoping to reprise a similar role this season with a Rockies team in the thick of the playoff chase.“Honestly, it felt sort of normal (being back), but at the same time pretty nostalgic a little bit — just thinking back 15 years ago, when I did that for the first time,” said Holliday, who was in left field and batting fifth against San Diego on Thursday. “It was kind of that kid at Christmas (feeling) last night. Had a hard time sleeping.”Teammate Chris Iannetta made him feel his age, reminding Holliday he was now the oldest player on the roster. He took that honor from the 35-year-old Iannetta http://www.marinersfanproshop.com/authentic-ichiro-suzuki-jersey , who was Holliday’s teammate in 2007.“I appreciate that. I’ll take it as a compliment,” said Holliday, who won a World Series title with St. Louis in 2011. The Cardinals arrive in town this weekend. “Fifteen years later, I’m still good enough that people want me here. I hope I can go out and contribute.”Holliday hasn’t played in the majors since last season with the New York Yankees, when he batted .231 with 19 homers.No matter to Nolan Arenado.“We got better today,” the Gold Glove third baseman said. “He’s still a good player. He still knows how to hit. He didn’t lose that.“He’s always a fundamental player, a fundamental hitter. You don’t lose that.”Trailing Holliday on Thursday were his sons 14-year-old Jackson and 11-year-old Ethan. They played pingpong in a back room while Holliday prepared for the game. The last time Holliday was in a Rockies uniform — the Rockies traded him to Oakland after the 2008 season — a young Jackson would frequently take batting practice in the middle of the clubhouse.“You all better watch out if I pitch to him in the locker room. You all might get hurt,” Holliday cracked. “He’s a really good player. You all better pay attention after the game.”It didn’t take Holliday long to get into the swing of things again. He batted .346 with three home runs and 14 RBIs for the Triple-A Isotopes.But he went into this adventure with muted expectations.“I didn’t know what to expect Kyle Seager Jersey , how I would feel,” Holliday said. “The one thing I do have is experience. I’ve seen thousands of pitches and faced tons of pitching over my career.”As for his role, manager Bud Black said he will “see how it goes.”“If he’s not starting, he’ll be available to pinch-hit,” Black said. “There’s a dangerous bat there late in the game with some power.”The one lingering question was this: Did Holliday actually touch home plate in Game No. 163 in 2007? Holliday tagged from third in the 13th inning against San Diego and dove in headfirst for the winning run, a victory in the NL wild-card tiebreaker that vaulted Colorado into the postseason. Whether Holliday touched home remains a contention with Black, who was the Padres’ manager then.Holliday joked that home plate umpire Tim McClelland shared some responsibility.“I didn’t call myself safe,” Holliday said. “It wasn’t my fault. I tell Buddy http://www.marinersfanproshop.com/authentic-nelson-cruz-jersey , ‘Take it out on Tim.'”Black doesn’t buy it.“He should be blamed. He missed home. You know what that is? That’s baseball,” Black lightheartedly said. “That one hurt. I still think about it.”Now, they’re united.And this version of the Rockies has impressed Holliday from afar.“In some ways it’s similar to 2007,” Holliday said. “It’s a lot of young guys and guys who came up together, sort of coming together at the right time. A good mix of veteran leadership and young players that are bringing a lot of energy and really trying to prove themselves and establish themselves as great major league players.“It’s a really talented team and a team that has a chance to do something special.” The Chicago Cubs (58-40) will try to win consecutive games for the first time since right after the MLB All-Star break on Monday when they host the Arizona Diamondbacks (54-46). The Cubs alternated wins and losses in a five-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals going back to last Thursday that also included a doubleheader split at Wrigley Field on Saturday.MLB betting line: The Diamondbacks opened as -120 favorites (wager $120 to win $100); the total is at nine runs, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)MLB betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 5.4-2.2, Diamondbacks (MLB picks on every game)Check out the OddsShark podcast on iTunes or at OddsShark.libsyn.com for more odds information Carlos Ruiz Jersey , betting picks and a breakdown of this week鈥檚 top sports betting news.Why the Diamondbacks can pay on the MLB linesThe Diamondbacks avoided being swept at home by the Colorado Rockies on Sunday, earning a 6-1 victory thanks to ace Zack Greinke. Arizona ended Colorado's seven-game winning streak and moved back into second place behind the Los Angeles Dodgers.The Diamondbacks will now send southpaw Patrick Corbin (6-4, 3.24 ERA) to the mound looking for his first win since June 5. Corbin is 0-2 in seven starts since then with five no-decisions, two of which came away from home. The 29-year-old has been very good on the road this season, going 2-1 in nine outings with a 2.89 ERA.Why the Cubs can pay on the MLB linesChicago extended its winning streak to four games with a 9-6 victory in the series opener against St. Louis. The Cubs also closed out the series against the Cardinals with a 7-2 win on Sunday behind seven solid innings from pitcher Jose Quintana, who allowed two runs and six hits with four walks and six strikeouts on 121 pitches. It was a much-needed quality start for Chicago in a series that saw 65 total runs scored.Next up in the rotation is converted reliever Luke Farrell (3-3, 3.86), who has made just one start for the Cubs this season. That came back on June 23 when he surrendered three runs on two hits and two walks in 2.2 innings of an 11-2 defeat to the Cincinnati Reds. However http://www.marinersfanproshop.com/authentic-randy-johnson-jersey , that remains the only time he has given up more than two earned runs this year.Smart betting pickArizona definitely has an edge in the pitching matchup, due mostly to Farrell's inexperience as a starter and Corbin's success on the road. The Diamondbacks have also won three of the past five meetings, according to the OddsShark MLB Database, including the last two at Wrigley Field. Before that, Chicago had won nine of the previous 11 in the series, so take Arizona to pull off the upset in the series opener.MLB betting trendsThe total has gone UNDER in five of Arizona's last seven games.Arizona is 14-5 in its last 19 games on the road.Chi Cubs is 12-3 in its last 15 games at home.All MLB odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report鈥檚 official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app.