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Matt Koch will aim for his fourth consecutive victory on Tuesday night http://www.falconsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-deadrin-senat-jersey , and the Arizona Diamondbacks will try for a two-game road sweep of the Los Angeles Angels.

Arizona (40-32) won the series opener 7-4 on Monday night to extend its lead in the National League West to two games over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Paul Goldschmidt drove in two runs and is batting .426 (29-for-68) with eight homers and 18 RBIs in his last 17 games.

The Angels (38-35) gave up the first six runs of the interleague series opener before dropping their seventh game in the past eight to fall 8 1/2 games back of the Seattle Mariners for the second wild card in the AL. They were 3 1/2 games back on June 9.

“It’s tough to spot them six,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia told reporters after the loss Monday.

Koch (5-3, 4.09) wasn’t expected to be part of the rotation this spring, but an arm injury to fellow right-hander Taijuan Walker prompted the club to recall Koch from Triple-A Reno on April 20.

He was 2-0 with a 2.13 ERA after four starts, lost three straight in mid-May, but has regrouped with the help of exceptional run support. The Diamondbacks have combined for 36 runs in his past four starts.

“You always have to be ready for your opportunity,” Koch told the told Sioux City Journal last week. “You never know when it’s going to come, how early or how late it is, you just have to be ready for it, whenever it is, and try to take advantage of it.”

Koch’s spot in the rotation isn’t set in cement, as veterans Shelby Miller (Tommy John surgery) and Robbie Ray (right oblique strain) are making rehab starts and nearing their returns.

Despite his recent success, his first career appearance against the Angels could determine whether Koch remains in the rotation. He said he’s not focused on that aspect of his performance.

“All I try to do is just get ready for that game and do all I can to keep the team in the game, and try to win,” Koch said. “I can’t really worry about all the other stuff that’s going on or your focus isn’t going to be on what you need to do.”

Koch would be more than willing to occupy a spot in the bullpen if it meant staying with the Diamondbacks.

“I want to be part of the team and if it’s best for the team for me to go to the bullpen I’ll do it http://www.falconsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-ito-smith-jersey , and if it’s best for me to stay in the rotation I’ll do it,” he said. It’s whatever they think will help the team most.”

The Angels are scheduled to send 28-year-old right-hander Felix Pena to the mound for his first major league start.

For the third time this season, Pena (0-0, 10.13) was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake on Friday. He has made two relief appearances with the Angels this season totaling 2 2/3 innings. Nine of his 10 appearances for Triple-A Salt Lake this season have been as a starter, and he’s 1-2 with a 3.51 ERA for the Bees.

Pena was acquired from the Chicago Cubs in October after making 36 relief appearances over the past two seasons. He has never faced the Diamondbacks.

Kareem Hunt has been running through challenges all season.

First, there was the challenge of taking over the starting job in Kansas City when veteran running back Spencer Ware, who was supposed to form a two-headed monster with him, went down with a season-ending injury during a preseason game against Seattle.

Then there was the challenge of living up to expectations, which soared after Hunt ran roughshod over New England in the season opener and kept climbing after a string of incredible performances.

There was the inevitable challenge of breaking through the rookie wall, too. Hunt struggled along with the rest of the Chiefs during a midseason swoon that saw them lose six out of seven, putting their once-iron grip on the AFC West in jeopardy with a few games left in the regular season.

The next challenge: The Titans’ bruising rush defense, now that Hunt has led the Chiefs to their second straight division title and into a wild-card game on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium.

”I always believe in myself. I always think I’m going to make something happen,” said Hunt, a third-round pick out of Toledo. ”When Ware went down, I had an opportunity to step in and fill a role.”

He filled that role in record-setting fashion http://www.bearsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-james-daniels-jersey , too.

Hunt successfully persuaded coach Andy Reid to let him play last week against the Broncos, even though the division had been decided and playoff position set, so that he could take aim at the league rushing title.

Hunt only needed one carry to scamper 35 yards for an early touchdown, enough yardage to send him past the Rams’ Todd Gurley with 1,327 yards in just over 15 games.

Hunt is the second straight rookie to win the rushing title, following the Cowboys’ Zeke Elliott, and the sixth to accomplish the feat in the Super Bowl era.

The only other Chiefs to lead the league in rushing are Priest Holmes and Christian Okoye.

All of that seemed possible when Hunt eclipsed 100 yards rushing in four of his first five games, including a 172-yard performance against the Chargers.

And none of it seemed possible six weeks later, when Hunt was held to 17 yards on 11 carries by Buffalo in another miserable outing.

At that point, the rookie wall seemed very real – even if Reid mostly laughed it off.

”We look at it right around Game 12, you kind of see where they’re at and if they have a bad play you say, `Whoop! There’s the rookie wall,”’ Reid said, dripping with sarcasm.

”Sometimes I think that gets a little overrated, but we haven’t seen that with him. He’s done well and I think we’re probably a little hypersensitive to that when you get around the middle of the season http://www.broncosauthorizedshops.com/authentic-su_a-cravens-jersey , that 12th game.”

If there was any such wall, the modest-to-a-fault Hunt eventually broke it down. He ran for at least 90 yards and a touchdown in three consecutive games to clinch the division title, putting Hunt in a position to nab the NFL rushing crown in the final game of the regular season.

”Talk about explosive player,” said Titans coach Mike Mularkey, marveling at Hunt’s ability to ”go the distance every time” the young running back touches the ball.

Hunt averaged 4.88 yards per carry this season, second only to the Saints’ Mark Ingram, and his 35 carries of at least 10 yards trailed only Gurley for most in the league.

”I just go out there and play football every game,” he said, ”and really don’t look at the big picture. Just go out there and control what I can control and make plays and good things happen.”

Hunt faces a big test this weekend in Tennessee, which rolls into Arrowhead Stadium allowing 88.8 yards rushing per game – the best in the AFC and fourth-best in the league.

They’ve only allowed one 100-yard rusher all season. That was Gurley in Week 16.

”We have our chance in the playoffs,” Hunt said, ”and we just have to keep it rolling.”

NOTES: CB Phillip Gaines (dislocated elbow) went on injured reserve Wednesday and DT Stefan Charles was signed to provide depth. DLs Jarvis Jenkins and Rakeem Nunez-Roches have been hobbled by injuries, so Charles gives the Chiefs insurance if those guys are unavailable. Neither of those defensive linemen practiced Wednesday.

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