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(Sports Network) - The red-hot Colorado Rockies look to sweep a four-game set from the Cincinnati Reds when the two teams collide tonight in the series finale from Coors Field.
Colorado has won six straight overall and recorded a 9-2 victory last night behind a big performance from shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who ended 3-for-4 with a pair of homers and four RBI. Seth Smith also went deep for the Rockies, who sit 4 1/2 games off the lead in both the NL West and wild card standings.
"We're doing everything well right now," Smith said. "Baseball is hard to put everything together -- pitching, defense and baserunning. We seem to be doing all three well right now."
Jonathan Herrera and Eric Young Jr. finished with two hits and two RBI apiece in a winning effort. Carlos Gonzalez extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a 1-for-3 effort at the plate.
Rockies starter Aaron Cook earned the win, allowing one run, six hits and a walk in five-plus innings before leaving with a non-displaced fracture in his right leg after being hit with a line drive.
The Rockies are perfect so far on a 10-game homestand. They will also host Arizona and San Diego on the residency. Taking the mound for Colorado Thursday will be Jason Hammel, who has won back-to-back starts and three of his last four decisions. In last Saturday's 6-2 victory at the Padres, Hammel limited San Diego to two runs in 6 2/3 innings for the win.
Hammel, who is 10-7 in 25 starts this season, lost to the Reds back on July 16 and is 0-1 in two career starts against them.
Cincinnati has dropped four in a row, but still leads the National League Central Division by six games over St. Louis.
In Wednesday's seven-run setback, Joey Votto recorded three hits and an RBI, while Paul Janish drove in the other run for the Reds, who fell to 1-5 on a seven-game road trip against the Cardinals and Rockies.
"We had another chance to pick up a game, but on the bright side we didn't lose any ground, either, and there's one less game on the schedule," Reds manager Dusty Baker said in reference to St. Louis losing again. "That's not going to continue. We feel fortunate that that's happened, but we've got to win."
The Reds have lost 18 of their last 21 games against Colorado and last won at Coors Field on August 22, 2008. Reds promising rookie Travis Wood draws the start tonight and he's 5-2 with a 3.19 earned run average in 12 starts. He allowed one unearned run over seven innings in a 6-1 win at St. Louis last Saturday to improve to 5-1 in 10 road appearances.
Wood, a left-hander, lost to the Rockies in his only appearance against them back on July 18, when he tossed six innings of one-run ball in a 1-0 defeat.
Colorado's last four-game sweep of Cincinnati occurred from Sept. 7-10 last season.