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Diamondbacks-Rockies Preview

Apr 28, 2010 - 5:55 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Arizona (9-10) at Colorado (10-10), 3:10 p.m. EDT

It's been seven years since the Colorado Rockies won their first four series at home. The way they're hitting lately, they could have a good chance of matching that feat.

Before a nine-game swing through California, the Rockies look to end their homestand on a positive note Wednesday when they go for the series win against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

After posting seven hits in a 5-3 loss Monday, Colorado (11-10) recorded a season-high 16 hits in Tuesday's 12-1 victory.

Carlos Gonzalez went 3 for 5 with a career-high five RBIs, Troy Tulowitzki was 3 for 3 with a season-best three runs and every starter got a hit, including Ubaldo Jimenez, who extended his scoreless streak to 22 1-3 innings - a franchise best among starters.

"He's one of the most dominating pitchers in baseball right now," said Gonzalez, who moved from leadoff to the No. 5 spot for the first time this season.

The Rockies' bats aren't doing too bad either. They are hitting .331 while averaging 7.8 runs in their last four games. Colorado's run total Tuesday was its most since a 13-11 victory over the Diamondbacks on Sept. 6.

Greg Smith (1-2, 5.24 ERA) would gladly take that kind of support as he'll try to help the Rockies equal the 2003 team that won its first four series at Coors Field.

Smith, acquired with Gonzalez in the November 2008 deal that sent Matt Holliday to Oakland, yielded four runs and a season-high eight hits in Saturday's 4-1 loss to Florida.

The left-hander's only career appearance against Arizona came while with the Athletics in June 2008. Smith gave up a run and three hits with three walks over five innings, but didn't get a decision in Oakland's 2-1 loss.

The Diamondbacks (9-11) managed only four singles among five hits Tuesday. They had averaged 5.5 runs and 10.0 hits over the previous four games.

Reigning NL player of the week Mark Reynolds had his seven-game hitting streak snapped after going 0 for 3 with a strikeout. He is tied with teammate Kelly Johnson for the NL lead with seven home runs.

Arizona, which leads the league with 27 homers, closes out the first leg of its season-high 11-game trip with Kris Benson (1-1, 3.00) on the mound.

The right-hander and No. 1 overall pick in 1996 will try to win two straight starts for the first time since June 12-17, 2006, while with Baltimore. Hampered by rotator cuff surgery and a number of other injuries, Benson has appeared in just 10 games since that season.

On Friday, he gave up three runs and eight hits over six-plus innings in a 7-4 win over Philadelphia for his first victory since April 15, 2009, with Texas. Benson was backed by five homers, including two from Johnson and one each from Reynolds and batterymate Chris Snyder

"Snyder and I had a good game plan going into the game like last time and I executed the pitches," Benson said.

Benson, who hasn't faced Colorado since September 2005 while pitching for the New York Mets, is 3-2 with a 3.02 ERA in seven career starts versus the Rockies.