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Surging Rockies go for sweep of Giants

Sep 3, 2008 - 9:51 PM San Francisco (59-79) at Colorado (66-74) 3:05 p.m. EDT

DENVER (Ticker) -- The Colorado Rockies are making another late-season charge toward the top of the National League West.

The Rockies have climbed to within five games of the NL West-leading Arizona Diamondbacks (70-68) with 22 games left to play.

Colorado was five games behind the Diamondbacks to this point in 2007 and ended up winning 12 of its last 13 regular season games to surge into the playoffs.

The Rockies picked up the win Tuesday in dramatic fashion, when Ryan Spilborghs singled in the winning run in the bottom of the 12th inning to snap a 5-5 deadlock. Troy Tulowitzki - one of the catalysts during last season's surge - hit a two-run homer in the game and is 6-for-13 with four runs scored in the last four games.

Barry Zito (8-16, 5.62 ERA) will start for Giants Wednesday, hoping to avoid yet another loss. The lefthander is in danger of becoming the first pitcher to lose 20 games in the majors since Mike Maroth went 9-21 for the 2003 Detroit Tigers.

Zito had a two-start winning streak snapped Friday when he allowed eight runs in 3 1/3 innings at Cincinnati. The veteran hurler has allowed at least five runs in four of his last seven starts.

The Rockies will counter with All-Star Aaron Cook (16-8, 3.88), who still has a shot at 20 wins this season. The sinkerball specialist has already doubled his win total from last season and is one shy of tying the team record shared by Jeff Francis (2007) and Kevin Ritz (1996).

Cook is 2-1 in three starts against San Francisco this season, allowing seven earned runs in 21 total frames.