Rockies continue late playoff push against Reds

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09/08/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With the Colorado Rockies making a belated push for a playoff spot, Carlos Gonzalez has been enhancing his credentials for a possible National League MVP Award with his performance over the past few weeks.

Gonzalez puts a career-best 15-game hitting streak on the line and the resurgent Rockies set their sights on a sixth consecutive win when they continue a four-game series with the suddenly-slumping Cincinnati Reds tonight at Coors Field.

Colorado has vaulted itself back into the NL postseason picture by winning 11 of its last 16 contests, including the first two tests of this set. The Rockies, who returned home off a critical three-game sweep at NL West-leading San Diego over the weekend, are currently 4 1/2 games back the Padres in the division standings and trail Atlanta by the same amount for the lead in the league's Wild Card race.

Gonzalez has certainly played a big part in Colorado's recent roll. The standout outfielder is batting a scorching .525 (31-for-59) with seven home runs and 21 RBI during his tear and belted a three-run homer in the first inning that helped the Rockies to a 4-3 triumph over the reeling Reds last night.

"I feel good. I think I'm seeing the ball really well," Gonzalez said afterward. "I'm just trying to take advantage of every situation so I can help the ball club win."

Gonzalez has made himself a serious threat for the NL's Triple Crown in the process. The 24-year-old tops the Senior Circuit in both batting average (.340) and RBI (100) and trails St. Louis' Albert Pujols by three homers for the lead in that category.

Miguel Olivo added three hits, including an RBI double, to Tuesday's triumph, while rookie pitcher Jhoulys Chacin (8-9) held Cincinnati's potent offense to two runs over the first six innings.

The Reds closed within 4-3 on Jonny Gomes' solo homer off reliever Rafael Betancourt in the eighth, but Colorado closer Huston Street pitched a scoreless ninth to nail down the Rockies' eighth straight win over Cincinnati at Coors Field. The Reds haven't prevailed in Denver since August 22, 2008.

Although Cincinnati did take two of three matchups from the Rockies in Ohio back in July, Colorado is now 17-3 over its last 20 tilts against the Reds following yesterday's result.

The loss was the third in a row and fourth in five outings for the NL Central- leading Reds, who were still able to maintain a six-game advantage on second- place St. Louis after the Cardinals fell to Milwaukee on Tuesday. Drew Stubbs paced Cincinnati with two hits and a pair of RBI in last night's setback.

"We had a few opportunities with runners on base," said Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker. "Fortunately for us, we didn't lose any ground (to the Cardinals)."

Baker will hand the ball to the usually-reliable Bronson Arroyo in hopes of bouncing back tonight. The long-haired veteran is in a bit of rut of his own, having lost two straight starts after besting the Dodgers on August 22 to claim his 14th victory of the season.

Arroyo didn't pitch badly in either defeat, yielding three runs and just five hits over seven innings against the Chicago Cubs on August 28 and allowing three runs in six frames at St. Louis this past Friday. The Reds lost both games by 3-2 scores.

The 33-year-old did beat the Rockies in Cincinnati on July 16 by tossing seven innings of two-run ball, improving his lifetime record to 2-2 with a 3.78 earned run average in nine games (seven starts) against Colorado.

Gonzalez has had success against the Reds right-hander, however, having collected four hits in eight lifetime at-bats off Arroyo.

Aaron Cook takes the mound for Colorado for his second start upon returning from a month-long stint on the disabled list due to a sprained right toe. The right-hander pitched very well in his comeback effort, limiting San Diego to two runs and just four hits over 6 1/3 innings to pick up a win at Petco Park on Friday.

The victory was Cook's first since he fired seven shutout innings to best the Reds on July 18. The sinker specialist is 3-0 with a 4.34 ERA in nine career meetings with Cincinnati, eight of which have been starts.

Cook has struggled in each of his past two Coors Field assignments, however, having surrendered a total of 10 runs and 14 hits in just 5 1/3 innings in back-to-back losses to Pittsburgh (July 28) and San Francisco (Aug. 3).

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Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)

"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."

Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins

There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.

Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins

Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.

USC Trojans - 10.5 wins

A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.

Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy

Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.

"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."

Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1

The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.

Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1

If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.

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