Colorado @ Cincinnati preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 10, 2011 ) Colorado 2, Cincinnati 3

THE STORY: The Cincinnati Reds can get the ball out of the park with the best of them. Sometimes they even manage to hit a few home runs and get a decent pitching performance on the same night. The Reds assured themselves a chance at a series split Wednesday when they took veteran Kevin Millwood deep three times in his return to the major leagues and managed to get 7 1/3 strong innings from Mike Leake. The Colorado Rockies have similar trouble getting the offense and the pitching on the same page, but still have a chance to win the four-game series outright when they send Jhoulys Chacin to the mound in the finale at Cincinnati on Thursday.

TV: 12:35 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Cincinnati)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Johnny Cueto (7-5, 2.06 ERA) vs. Rockies RH Jhoulys Chacin (9-8, 3.45).

One of the few things that has gone right for Cincinnati is the development of Cueto into a staff ace, even though he has not been immune to the club‘s recent troubles. After hurling a three-hit shutout in his previous turn, the 25-year old righthander suffered through his shortest start of the season last weekend, allowing five runs in 3 2/3 innings to absorb a loss at Chicago. Cueto has never beaten Colorado in two starts, yielding three runs in nine innings. Chacin is being counted on by the Rockies' brass to step into Ubaldo Jimenez’s vacated spot at the top of the rotation. The 23-year-old Chacin has been inconsistent at times this season but managed to snap an eight-start winless streak last time out with five solid innings against Washington. Chacin has allowed one earned run in five of his last 10 starts, but has also been knocked around for four runs or more four times in that span.

ABOUT THE REDS (56-61): Cincinnati has homered six times in three games against the Rockies, finally turning those blasts into a victory Wednesday. The Reds have had a nasty habit of playing down to the competition recently, with Wednesday’s 3-2 triumph bringing their record to 4-12 against teams .500 or worse since the All-Star break. Joey Votto hit the go-ahead blast, snapping an eight-game string without a homer and driving in only his second run in the last seven contests. Edgar Renteria also appears to be finding his power stroke. After homering once in the first four months of the season, Renteria has gone deep three times in August.

ABOUT THE ROCKIES (55-63): Colorado decided to take a chance on Millwood because of the opening in their rotation created when Juan Nicasio underwent neck surgery over the weekend. For a 36-year-old who had been stuck in Triple A all season, the Rockies had to be happy with the seven-inning, six-hit performance that Millwood turned in. Unfortunately, three of those hits went over the fence and the Colorado offense could not pick up the slack. Troy Tulowitzki continued his torrid pace with a solo homer - his 23rd - among two hits, marking his sixth multi-hit game in the last seven contests. Colorado totaled 13 hits Wednesday, but grounded into four double plays and went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

FINAL PITCH: Cincinnati second baseman Brandon Phillips sat out Wednesday’s contest with an elbow contusion. Phillips was hit in the elbow in the fourth inning Tuesday and announced on his twitter account that he could be out for “maybe five days.”