Arizona @ Colorado preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 5, 2011 ) Arizona 10, Colorado 7

THE STORY: Red-hot Arizona tries for its 13th win in 14 games Tuesday night when it plays the second of a three-game series at Colorado. The Diamondbacks maintained their eight-game lead atop the National League West by holding on for a 10-7 victory over the Rockies on Monday afternoon. Geoff Blum and Paul Goldschmidt each drove in three runs.

TV: 8:40 p.m. ET, Fox Sports (Arizona); ROOT Sports (Colorado)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Josh Collmenter (9-8, 3.18 ERA) vs. Rockies RH Jason Hammel (7-13, 5.15 ERA).

Collmenter has been excellent over his last five starts, going 3-1 (with the lone setback a 1-0 loss in Atlanta) while yielding just seven runs in 32 innings. He has gone 13 innings without issuing a walk, allowing just 24 in 130 innings this season. Collmenter is 2-1 with a 3.26 ERA in his career against Colorado, winning each of his last two starts, including a victory Wednesday in which he gave up two runs on five hits in six innings.

Hammel is back in the starting rotation following a brief August demotion to the bullpen and a week off for paternity leave while his wife gave birth to the couple's first child. He had not fared well during the second half of the season, allowing at least six runs in four of his last six starts. Hammel pitched an inning of perfect relief at Arizona on Aug. 29 but was pounded in his last start there, surrendering eight runs on 12 hits in 5 2/3 innings on July 23.

ABOUT THE DIAMONDBACKS (81-60): Since dropping six straight in mid-August and watching its lead over San Francisco shrink to one game, Arizona has taken complete control of the NL West race with its current hot streak. The Diamondbacks have shown an ability to put up big numbers offensively, with Monday's win marking the 10th time this season that they have scored at least 10 runs in a game. Justin Upton, who leads the club with a .296 bating average and 82 RBIs, hit his team-best 27th home run Monday.

ABOUT THE ROCKIES (66-75): Colorado has struggled to stay afloat this season thanks largely to a pitching staff that ranks near the bottom of the major leagues in most major categories, including ERA (4.39) and home runs allowed (149). The offense has carried the load for the Rockies, scoring 643 runs. SS Troy Tulowitzki hit his team-leading 29th home run Monday, a three-run shot that gave him 100 RBIs on the year.

FINAL PITCH: The Diamondbacks have won six straight games against the Rockies, and are 6-1 over their last seven road games overall.