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Reds-Diamondbacks Preview

Aug 18, 2010 - 6:02 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Cincinnati (68-51) at Arizona (47-73), 9:40 p.m. EDT

Edinson Volquez feels more confident each time he takes the mound for the Cincinnati Reds.

Looking to record a fourth straight strong start, Volquez tries to help the first-place Reds win their fifth in a row and continue their recent dominance of the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday night.

In his sixth start since coming back from Tommy John surgery July 17, Volquez (3-1, 4.25 ERA) allowed a run and struck out six in six innings of a 7-2 win over Florida on Friday. The right-hander has gone 2-0 with a 1.53 ERA in his last three outings.

"Every time I pitch, I feel like I'm getting into a better rhythm and keeping us in the game," Volquez said.

In his only appearance against the Diamondbacks, Volquez gave up two runs, walked six and struck out eight in six innings of a 3-2, 10-inning win at Arizona on Sept. 13, 2008.

He'll try to be more efficient this time as the Reds (68-51) go for a fourth straight win against Arizona after opening a nine-game western trip with a 6-2 victory over the Diamondbacks on Tuesday.

Cincinnati has won 14 of 17 over the Diamondbacks and outscored them 37-14 during a six-game winning streak at Arizona.

"It was definitely important for this road trip to get off to a good start," Tuesday's winning pitcher Bronson Arroyo said.

After being swept in a three-game home set by St. Louis last week, the Reds' four consecutive wins have them two games up on the Cardinals in the NL Central.

"It's good," said shortstop Paul Janish, who went 2 for 4 with a homer Tuesday. "We are definitely doing some scoreboard watching."

Janish has batted .302 with eight RBIs in his last 12 games.

Cincinnati's Scott Rolen had three hits with three RBIs on Tuesday. He is 7 for 11 with six RBIs in three games after going 0 for 10 in his previous three contests.

The All-Star third baseman is 2 for 3 with a home run against Arizona's Rodrigo Lopez (5-11, 4.93), who is searching for his first victory in more than a month.

Lopez, 0-4 with a 6.69 ERA in his last six starts, allowed seven runs in five innings of an 8-4 loss at Milwaukee on Thursday.

The right-hander is 1-0 with a 6.32 ERA in four starts against the Reds.

Kelly Johnson hit a two-run homer and had two of the six hits Tuesday for Arizona (47-73), which went 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position as it lost for the fourth time in five games.

"If you are going to beat a team like this you need to do those things," Diamondbacks interim manager Kirk Gibson said of his club's missed opportunities.

Johnson has gone 4 for 10 with two homers in his last three games but is 1 for 7 with a double and four strikeouts against Volquez.