Colorado @ Cincinnati preview

Last Meeting ( May 9, 2014 ) Colorado 3, Cincinnati 4

The Cincinnati Reds host the Colorado Rockies on Saturday in the second contest of a three-game series and hope their best hitter - Joey Votto - continues working out of one of the worst slumps of his career. Votto was 6-for-37 and hadn't driven a run in his last 10 games, and was 0-for-3 on Friday before clubbing a 3-0 pitch for a walk-off homer leading off the ninth inning as Cincinnati prevailed 4-3. "At the end of the year, you'll look up and I'll be about the same," Votto told reporters after hitting his fourth career game-ending homer. "The frustrating part is my struggles have coincided with a number of close losses."

Colorado, the highest-scoring team in the majors at 5.7 runs per game, has recorded only three in its last two contests - both road losses. The Rockies' Nolan Arenado went 0-for-4 to end his club-record 28-game hitting streak while Troy Tulowitzki homered and went 1-for-4 to see his major league-leading batting average fall to .402. Colorado's Jordan Lyles and Cincinnati's Alfredo Simon - a pair of red-hot right-handers who are a combined 8-1 with a 2.32 ERA - square off.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Colorado), FSN Ohio (Cincinnati)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Jordan Lyles (4-0, 2.62 ERA) vs. Reds RH Alfredo Simon (4-1, 1.99)

Lyles, forced into the rotation to start the season because of injuries, yielded two runs and seven hits while striking out five in eight-plus innings - Colorado's longest start of 2014 - in the Rockies' 8-2 victory over Texas on Monday. The 23-year-old Florence, S.C., native, who leads the National League in ground-ball percentage at 75.5, is 2-1 with a 5.79 ERA in five outings (four starts) against Cincinnati. The Rockies are 5-2 in Lyles' starts, with the losses coming after Lyles left with the lead.

Simon replaced Mat Latos - rehabilitating after knee and elbow surgeries - in the rotation and has uncorked six consecutive quality starts to begin the season. The Dominican Republic native, who turned 33 on Thursday, allowed three runs and five hits in seven innings while receiving a no-decision in the Reds' 4-3 over Milwaukee on Sunday. Simon, who had won his three previous outings, makes his first start against Colorado after recording a 3.52 ERA in five relief appearances.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cincinnati closer Aroldis Chapman, who was hit in the face by a line drive March 19, will likely be activated from the disabled list Saturday.

2. Colorado 1B Justin Morneau returned to the lineup Friday after missing Thursday's contest with a stiff neck and delivered a game-tying RBI double in the ninth.

3. Tulowitzki is hitting .608 at home in 51 at-bats and .242 on the road in 66 at-bats.

PREDICTION: Reds 3, Rockies 2