(SportsNetwork.com) - The Colorado Rockies hope to post their first winning streak in a month on Wednesday evening when they play the third of four straight meetings with the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Rockies halted a two-game slide and won for just the third time in 17 games with last night's 6-5 victory. Nick Hundley hit a solo homer in the eighth inning last night and it was the difference.
Hundley's eighth inning on Tuesday went better than the previous night, when he was ejected in the series opener for arguing a check-swing call.
"I don't think last night had anything to do with it," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said of Hundley. "But guys have been battling and it's been frustrating. So you hit a big home run like that, there's some emotion involved with it. He was fired up."
Hundley, Troy Tulowitzki and Wilin Rosario all drove in two runs for Colorado, which put an end to Philadelphia's six-game win streak. Chad Bettis went six innings, yielding three runs on eight hits in his second start of the season for the Rockies.
The loss spoiled Maikel Franco's career-high three RBI. The young third baseman went 3-for-4 and was the only Phillie to have a multi-hit game.
Franco, though, did have an error in the first inning that helped the Rockies plate three unearned runs off Phillies starter Aaron Harang.
"We kept coming back, especially after the first inning," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "Harang really settled in."
While Colorado aims to win consecutive games for the first time since a three- game run from April 22-24, starter Eddie Butler will try to avoid his fourth straight losing start tonight.
Butler last won on April 24, but has lost all three of his starts this month and has failed to reach six innings pitched in six of his seven outings on the season. The righty lasted just 2 2/3 frames in a 6-4 setback to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday, charged with four runs -- three earned -- on six hits and four walks.
Butler is 2-4 with a 4.24 earned run average this season and will be facing the Phillies for the first time.
With Chad Billingsley having hit the disabled list due to a lat injury, 22- year-old Severino Gonzales will return to the Phillies rotation for his third career start.
Severino made his major league debut on April 28 and it was a forgettable outing as he was pounded for seven runs and 10 hits over 2 2/3 innings of a loss in St. Louis. However, he was a bit sharper next time out in Miami as he held the Marlins to two runs over five innings for a 6-2 victory. He also struck out five after failing to record a strikeout against the Cardinals.
The Rockies have won five of their past seven at home against the Phillies.
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