Reds-Rockies Preview

If the Cincinnati Reds were to have a say in the matter, they'd probably make a case for scheduling more games against the Colorado Rockies.

With Joey Votto, Jay Bruce and the offense rising, the Reds chase only their second series victory over the past six weeks - both versus the Rockies - on Thursday night in the finale of a four-game set at Coors Field.

Cincinnati took two of three from Colorado at Great American Ball Park from April 18-20, but the club has since gone 0-10-2 in series. It's the Reds' longest drought since going winless in 13 straight in 1989.

They now have a chance to end the drought by wrapping up their first series win at Coors since July 2012 and first in a series of four games since April 1998. After an 11-8 win in the opener, they bounced back from a 17-4 rout with Wednesday's 7-2 victory.

Billy Hamilton went 3 for 5 with two doubles and two RBIs and Bruce hit his 11th home run. Hamilton is 7 for 13 with three doubles in this series, while Bruce is 8 for 21 with three homers in his last five games.

Since totaling 12 runs and hitting .159 in a seven-game stretch during a season-high 11 straight defeats, NL Central-worst Cincinnati (18-35) has averaged 6.3 runs while batting .290 with 12 home runs over its last six.

Votto is batting .215 with nine homers on the season, but he's come alive over this span with three long balls, two doubles and seven RBIs.

Now they might have Brandon Phillips after he missed a second straight game with a sore foot. He's 7 for 11 in his last three versus the Rockies (24-28).

"If it was up to him, he would play," manager Bryan Price said.

In his return to the rotation Saturday, Colorado's Eddie Butler (2-2, 4.13 ERA) allowed four runs over five innings in a 10-5 loss to San Francisco.

The right-hander was used in relief May 24, allowing one hit over 2 2/3 innings in an 8-3 loss at Fenway Park. With a 6.88 ERA in 10 starts, he's still trying to get comfortable in hitter-friendly Colorado.

Butler had a 5.25 ERA in a pair of starts versus Cincinnati last season. Bruce is 3 for 6 with a double off him and Votto is 2 for 6 with a double.

The Reds will give the ball to Alfredo Simon (1-5, 9.60), who will try to lower the majors' highest ERA among those with at least 30 innings.

Simon has been even worse of late, giving up 18 runs and 26 hits over 13 1/3 innings in his last three outings. He lasted just four innings Saturday when he surrendered three runs and three hits in a 7-6 win at Milwaukee.

The right-hander is 0-2 with an 11.25 ERA in two starts against the Rockies. Charlie Blackmon has gone 3 for 6 with a home run in the matchup.

Blackmon had two hits Wednesday, but the Rockies offense was quieted after totaling 25 runs and 30 hits in the first two games of this series.

"I think we were successful because we were aggressive (Tuesday)," Blackmon said. "(Then) we just didn't get the hits. There's no formula."

DJ LeMahieu is batting .389 over a 10-game hitting streak, though Carlos Gonzalez had his four-game home run streak and nine-game hitting streak come to an end in Colorado's 10th loss in 14 games.