• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Reds-Rockies Preview

Sep 7, 2010 - 1:38 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Cincinnati (79-57) at Colorado (72-64), 8:40 p.m. EDT

Colorado might be poised for another successful September run toward the postseason. Continued home success over the Cincinnati Reds could help them get there.

The Rockies look for a fifth consecutive victory overall and eighth straight at home over the NL Central-leading Reds on Tuesday night.

Coming off a three-game sweep at San Diego, Colorado (73-64) beat Cincinnati 10-5 on Monday. Within striking distance of the NL West and wild-card leads, the Rockies have won four of six in September.

Colorado went 20-8 in September during its run to the World Series in 2007 and 18-9 last season to earn the wild card.

"Every day is important and you treat it as such," manager Jim Tracy told the Rockies' official website. "You go about playing the game physically and strategically as if this is the last game."

The Rockies are 44-22 at home and have won nine of their last 10 against Cincinnati at Coors Field. Troy Tulowitzki homered and drove in three runs while Carlos Gonzalez added three hits with two RBIs on Monday to raise his average to an NL-leading .340.

Gonzalez is 30 for 56 with 18 RBIs during his career-high 14-game hitting streak. The outfielder is a lifetime .351 hitter against Cincinnati.

Colorado hopes for another strong effort from Jhoulys Chacin (7-9, 3.69 ERA), who has allowed two earned runs, 12 hits and struck out 19 over 20 innings to go 2-0 in his last three starts.

He gave up three runs - one earned - in 5 1-3 innings of a 12-11 loss to Philadelphia on Thursday.

"He's really beginning to arrive," Tracy said. "He is definitely a huge bright spot for our club with what's taken place this season."

Chacin will make his first start against the Reds after giving up a run in 3 2-3 innings over two appearances.

Cincinnati (79-58) has a six-game lead in the Central despite losing three of four on a seven-game trip.

Jonny Gomes, who homered off Chacin earlier this season, had two hits with two RBIs on Monday. Chris Haisey added two hits and an RBI in place of right fielder Jay Bruce, who remains day to day with a sore right side.

Johnny Cueto (12-4, 3.41) is expected to return Tuesday and take the ball after he left the Reds over the weekend to deal with a death of a family member in the Dominican Republic.

"We plan on (him starting)," manager Dusty Baker told the Reds' official website. "He (was) going to run and throw while he's down there."

Cueto has allowed two runs and 11 hits over 14 innings while going 1-0 in his last two starts. He gave up a run and five hits in six innings and did not factor in the decision of a 6-1 win over Milwaukee on Wednesday.

In Cueto's only start against the Rockies, the right-hander allowed one run and walked three in three innings of a 4-3, 12-inning loss at Coors Field on Aug. 24, 2008.