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Reds-Rockies Preview

Sep 9, 2010 - 5:36 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Cincinnati (79-59) at Colorado (74-64), 3:10 p.m. EDT

The Cincinnati Reds' place in the NL Central standings looks far better than how they're playing. The opposite can be said of the surging Colorado Rockies in the NL West.

The division-leading Reds look to avoid a season high-tying five-game losing streak on Thursday, when they face a Rockies team trying to win its season-best seventh straight and 10th in a row at home in this matchup.

Despite its skid, Cincinnati (79-60) holds a six-game divisional lead over slumping St. Louis.

"Another chance to pick up the game, but you've got to look at the bright side," manager Dusty Baker said following Wednesday's 9-2 loss. "We didn't lose any ground either and it's one less game on the schedule."

Unlike the Reds, who are trying to maintain their spot, the Rockies (75-64) are chasing San Diego and San Francisco in the West. Six straight wins and a 13-4 record since Aug. 21 has Colorado 2 1/2 games behind the Giants, who trail the division-leading Padres by two.

The Rockies are enjoying their longest winning streak of the season, but they may have lost right-hander Aaron Cook for the rest of the season after he suffered a broken leg Wednesday on a comebacker from Joey Votto.

"We're going to have to deal with that and see where it takes us, as far as a time frame and things like that," manager Jim Tracy said.

The Rockies, winners of 30 of 40 at Coors Field, will try to maintain their hot hitting as they continue a 10-game homestand. Colorado is averaging 6.2 runs and batting .305 during its winning streak, with Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez, a Triple Crown contender, at the center of this run.

Tulowitzki is batting .400 with five homers and 13 RBIs in the last seven games after going 3 for 4 with his second career multihomer game Wednesday.

Gonzalez, who leads the NL in batting (.340) and RBIs (100) and is tied for third in home runs with 32, is hitting .516 with seven homers and 21 RBIs during a career-high 16-game hitting streak.

Travis Wood (5-2, 3.19 ERA) will try to quiet the Rockies' bats. The rookie left-hander is 5-1 with a 3.54 ERA in his last seven starts, but he bounced back from two poor outings Saturday to pitch seven innings of one-run ball in a 6-1 victory at St. Louis.

"He pitched a heck of a ballgame," said Baker, whose club has won seven of Wood's last eight starts.

The same could have been said of Jason Hammel (10-7, 4.25) following Colorado's 6-2 victory at San Diego on Saturday. The right-hander, who goes for a career high in wins in the series finale, went 6 2-3 innings, giving up two runs and six hits. The Rockies have won six of his last seven outings.

Hammel has struck out Votto three times and held him to one hit in six at-bats, but the Reds first baseman also has a legitimate chance at the majors' first Triple Crown in 43 years. Votto is tied with Gonzalez in homers and is second in batting (.326) and RBIs (99).

The last time Colorado won seven in a row was an 8-0 stretch last September, which included the club's last four-game sweep - Sept. 7-10 versus the visiting Reds.

Cincinnati's last victory at Coors Field came Aug. 22, 2008. The Reds have lost 22 of 28 in Denver and 20 of 25 overall in this matchup.