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Jun 4, 2009 - 5:03 AM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer

Colorado (20-31) at Houston (22-28), 8:05 p.m. EDT

The Houston Astros may be at the bottom of the NL Central, but hot-hitting Hunter Pence feels the team is gaining confidence. Facing the Colorado Rockies may be a big reason for that.

The Astros look to sweep a four-game set from the last-place Rockies on Thursday night.

Pence went 4 for 5 with a triple, a home run and three RBIs in a 6-4 win over Colorado on Tuesday, helping extend the Astros' winning streak to four games. Houston (23-28) last won five in a row during a six-game run from Sept. 6-11.

"We have the confidence, we're picking up the urgency and picking each other up as a team," Pence said. "We're playing every game with everything we've got."

The Astros have won five consecutive meetings with Colorado (20-32) and seven of the last eight, with Pence playing a big part in that success.

The right fielder is 12 for 25 (.480) with a homer and five RBIs in six games against the Rockies this season. He has a .375 average in 19 career matchups, with Houston winning 12.

Pence has been hot of late, collecting 22 hits with a .400 average over the last 15 games. His season average is up to .346 after he finished at .269 last year.

"I feel like I have a good approach, I have an idea of what's going on," Pence said. "If I continue to put that bat up there every day, good things can happen."

The Astros will turn to Wandy Rodriguez (5-4, 2.26 ERA), who looks to continue his own success against Colorado.

The hard-throwing left-hander is 4-1 with a 3.35 ERA in eight starts against the Rockies, including a 3-0 mark and 1.50 ERA in the last five. He beat them again May 14, allowing three runs and five hits with a career-best 11 strikeouts in seven innings of a 5-3 win.

That victory was part of an impressive five-game stretch, where Rodriguez went 4-0 with a 1.85 ERA. He hasn't come close to that since, losing his last two starts while getting reached for 11 runs - five earned - and 19 hits in 8 2-3 innings.

Rodriguez gave up five runs and nine hits with six strikeouts in 4 2-3 innings of a 7-4 loss at Pittsburgh on Saturday.

"I missed my location in the first inning," said Rodriguez, who leads the team with 62 strikeouts. "That is my problem: location."

The Rockies, in the NL West cellar with the second-worst record in the majors, are looking to avoid losing five straight for the first time since a seven-game slide from Sept. 6-13.

They hope Jason Hammel (1-3, 4.83) can help them snap the current skid with another solid road outing.

The right-hander is 1-1 with a 1.64 ERA in five road games - three starts.

Hammel, however, is coming off another bad start at home, lasting just 3 2-3 innings while surrendering six runs and eight hits in an 8-7 win over San Diego.

"I'm not going to take anything from this," Hammel told the Rockies' official Web site. "I put them in a big hole early."

Hammel lost his only career start against the Astros on May 14, giving up four runs - one earned - and seven hits in 5 1-3 innings opposite Rodriguez.