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Reds-Rockies Preview

Sep 8, 2009 - 2:40 AM By BRETT HUSTON STATS Writer

Cincinnati (63-73) at Colorado (77-60), 8:40 p.m. EDT

The Colorado Rockies have returned to their winning ways on their current homestand, but they may have an obstacle in the way if they hope to continue their current streak.

Troy Tulowitzki's back injury has put the shortstop's status in doubt as the Rockies look to win their fifth straight game Tuesday night against the visiting Cincinnati Reds.

Colorado (78-60) dropped five in a row at the end of August to fall into a tie with San Francisco for the NL wild-card lead.

The Rockies, though, seem to have regained their confidence during a critical 10-game homestand. They won five of their first six to open a two-game lead on the Giants, then made an impressive comeback Monday to maintain that cushion.

Down two in the seventh inning to the Reds (63-74), Colorado rallied to tie the score on Todd Helton's sacrifice fly and an RBI single from Tulowitzki. Ian Stewart led off the bottom of the eighth with a solo homer, lifting the Rockies to a 4-3 win.

Colorado's cause for celebration waned with Tulowitzki's seventh-inning exit. The cleanup hitter left with a strained lower back following his game-tying hit, and is listed as day to day.

"I'm a little sore right now, and a little tight, but at the same time, who knows?" Tulowitzki told the Rockies' official Web site. "(I may) wake up and feel good to go. These are important games, and I want to be in there. So we'll see what happens. Tomorrow will tell."

Tulowitzki, who leads Colorado with 24 homers and is second with 75 RBIs, tried to convince manager Jim Tracy to let him back into Monday's game, but Tracy - 60-32 since taking over May 29 for the fired Clint Hurdle - decided to play it cautious with his shortstop.

"You can't lose this guy for an extended period of time," Tracy said.

The Reds had their seven-game winning streak snapped Monday, and will look to bounce back against Jason Marquis (14-10, 3.75 ERA).

The right-hander hasn't succeeded in three chances thus to tie a career high with his 15th win, and he's particularly struggled in his last two outings, allowing five runs in each. He lasted five innings Thursday at home against the New York Mets, yielding nine hits in an 8-3 loss.

"I was struggling with adjustments to make my pitch," said Marquis, who's 6-3 with a 4.34 ERA in 14 career starts against Cincinnati. "It wasn't for lack of adjustments. I couldn't figure it out."

Marquis gave up three runs over seven innings - all on a homer to Laynce Nix - while leaving without a decision in the Rockies' 6-4, 11-inning win in Cincinnati on Aug. 2.

Brandon Phillips is 3 for 12 in his career against Marquis, but the Reds' RBI leader has been on a tear at the plate recently. He's hitting .448 (13 for 29) with two homers and six RBIs in his last eight games.

The Rockies will get their first look at rookie Matt Maloney (0-3, 6.46), who on Aug. 29 made his first major league start since June. The left-hander gave up five runs and eight hits - two homers - in an 11-4 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"Honestly, I felt like I threw the ball pretty well today," Maloney told the Reds' official Web site. "I don't think they had too many balls that were hit hard."

Maloney has given up two homers in each of his four starts in the majors.