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Jul 10, 2009 - 5:48 AM Atlanta (41-43) at Colorado (45-39), 9:10 p.m. EDT

After a brief rough stretch, the Colorado Rockies appear to have turned things around.

The surging Rockies look for their fifth straight victory Friday night when they continue a four-game set with the Atlanta Braves.

Pinch hitter Garrett Atkins' tiebreaking two-run double in the eighth inning helped lift Colorado (46-39) to a 7-6 victory on Thursday.

"Any time you have a chance to get the game-winning hit, whether you're on the bench or starting, it feels good," said Atkins, who's batting .227.

The Rockies have won four in a row since going 5-6 to suffer their first rough patch since Jim Tracy replaced the fired Clint Hurdle as manager in late May. Colorado is 28-11 under Tracy.

Colorado's current winning streak has come at Coors Field, where it lost the final two contests of a three-game series with Arizona last weekend. The Rockies have won 15 of their last 19 at home.

Clint Barmes had two hits and Ian Stewart hit his team-leading 16th homer Thursday for Colorado, which rallied three times and prevented the Braves (41-44) from their third straight victory.

Barmes is batting .409 (9 for 22) with six RBIs in his last five contests. He's 6 for 18 with four RBIs against Atlanta this season.

After roughing up talented rookie starter Tommy Hanson on Thursday, Colorado hopes to add to veteran Derek Lowe's struggles in this contest.

Lowe (7-7, 4.56 ERA), who hasn't won since June 9, allowed four runs and 10 hits in 5 1-3 innings of a 5-3 loss at Washington on Sunday. The right-hander is 0-4 with an 8.61 ERA in his last five starts.

"It's been kind of the theme over the last four weeks. It just seems like a struggle every time out," Lowe said. "It's definitely been a frustrating five or six starts."

Despite Lowe's problems, manager Bobby Cox still seems to have confidence in his supposed ace.

"He's better than what he showed the last couple games," Cox said. "My understanding is he always has this a little bit. We'll see what happens."

Lowe, 7-7 with a 4.50 ERA in 17 starts versus the Rockies, allowed two runs in eight innings of a 5-1 loss to Colorado on May 18.

The Rockies' Ubaldo Jimenez (6-8, 3.86) will look to avoid his third straight loss. The right-hander gave up four runs and four hits while striking out eight and walking five in 6 1-3 innings of a 4-3 loss to Arizona on Sunday.

"The only thing I can do is learn from this game and forget it," Jimenez said. "I don't want to keep it with me my next game."

Jimenez is 1-2 with a 5.66 ERA in four starts versus Atlanta.

Jeff Francoeur is 0 for 10 against Jimenez, but had three hits and two RBIs on Thursday for the Braves, who scored more than four runs for the first time in six games.

After missing the previous two games with a groin injury, Chipper Jones was intentionally walked as a pinch hitter Thursday and could be back in Atlanta's lineup for this contest. Jones is 4 for 12 with four walks against the Rockies this season.