Cincinnati @ Colorado preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 20, 2016 ) Colorado 5, Cincinnati 6

Despite their losing record at the moment, the Colorado Rockies have displayed an ability to compete with some of the best teams in baseball recently, going 7-8 during a 15-game run against five clubs with winning records - including two division leaders. The Rockies begin what should be a much easier seven-game stretch Monday, however, as they host the opener of a four-game series against the Cincinnati Reds.

Colorado (23-26) won the first four games before dropping eight of the final 11 during its challenging stretch, although six of the losses came during a nine-game road trip that featured stops in St. Louis, Pittsburgh and American League East-leading Boston. The Rockies saw their five-game home winning streak snapped with Saturday's 10-5 setback against red-hot San Francisco and didn't fare any better in an 8-3 loss to the Giants in Sunday's rubber match. Colorado, which travels to National League West-worst San Diego after this series, went 1-2 in Cincinnati last month but has to like its chances of winning this series against an opponent that has lost 12 of its last 13. The Reds remained the majors' worst road team following Sunday's 5-4 loss at Milwaukee, falling to 4-19 away from Great American Ball Park.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Cincinnati), ROOT (Colorado)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Dan Straily (2-2, 2.98 ERA) vs. Rockies RH Chad Bettis (4-3, 4.90)
Straily nearly doubled his previous season high with a career high-tying 11 strikeouts Wednesday, but he took the hard-luck loss after giving up three runs and three hits in seven frames against the Los Angeles Dodgers. After making three relief appearances to begin the season, the Marshall alum has held his own in the rotation, allowing three runs or fewer in each of his turns. Straily settled for a no-decision against Colorado in his first start of the year on April 18 despite yielding one run over five innings.
After logging at least six innings in each of his previous eight outings, Bettis was pounded for a season-high seven runs on seven hits and four walks over 4 2/3 innings in a loss at Boston on Wednesday. The 27-year-old Texan has produced only two quality starts since recording three straight from April 10-20, giving up at least four runs six times during that stretch. Bettis enjoyed one of his better outings of the season in a no-decision at Cincinnati on April 20, allowing three runs and three hits in six frames.

WALK-OFFS
1. Colorado has won 13 of the last 22 overall meetings and 19 of its previous 27 at home against Cincinnati since 2008.
2. Reds 3B Eugenio Suarez has struck out 16 times during his career-worst 0-for-27 slump.
3. After going 2-for-32 over his previous 10 games, Rockies OF Carlos Gonzalez is 14-for-29 with eight runs, three homers and five RBIs during a seven-game hitting streak.

PREDICTION: Rockies 7, Reds 5