PHOENIX -- The Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks have two races to settle this season, and both will go right down to the wire.Each team has won nine of the first 18 games of the season series, so the Wednesday series finale at Chase Field will settle that.The Rockies scored 125 runs in the first 18 games.The Diamondbacks scored 123.That makes the average score 6.94 to 6.83.One thing is clear: Take the over.The D-backs leveled the season series and closed the runs gap with 12-9 and 11-4 victories in the first two games of the series, their second straight September series win against the Rockies.Arizona right-hander Rubby De La Rosa is scheduled to oppose Colorado rookie right-hander Jeff Hoffman on Wednesday in the clubs last meeting of the year.Colorado manager Walt Weiss is not ready to expect another slugfest.I know thats been our track record, but you go in trying to shut the other team down, Weiss said. There tends to be some points scored when we get together. You have to keep fighting and make good use of all your 27 outs. You have to play nine innings to win in this league. When you dont, you usually get beat.The Rockies have scored fewer than four runs in only one of the first 18 games of the season series, and they produced at least eight runs eight times.Arizona has scored at least six runs in the past 10 meetings, eight of which were at altitude at Coors Field.The Diamondbacks have made some modern history along the way.With 17 hits Tuesday, the Diamondbacks have recorded at least 10 hits in their last 13 games against the Rockies, the first time that has happened in a head-to-head matchup in 86 years. The Brooklyn Robins had 13 consecutive games of double-digit hits against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1930, according to STATS LLC.Arizona leadoff hitter Jean Segura had two homers Tuesday, the third two-homer game of his career and second this season. He has a season-high 14 homers and ranks third in the National League with 177 hits, three behind Washington Nationals MVP candidate Daniel Murphy and one behind Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Corey Seager.Hes been our starter all year. Hes been a phenomenal leadoff hitter for us, Arizona manager Chip Hale said. We want him to finish strong. We want him to have a great year, get his 200 hits and really do some special things. Hes done a really good job all year, and in some tough situations. When you struggle as a team, hes been able to weather it and not let it get to his at-bats. Hes been very consistent.Segura, hitting .312 with 30 stolen bases, did say his bat has been feeling a little heavy these days. He is second in the NL with 568 at-bats, one behind Atlanta outfielder Matt Kemp.Everybody knows September, Segura said. You have to go out there and do the best you can, keep grinding no matter what. Just go out and compete.Colorado center fielder Charlie Blackmon hit his 26th homer Tuesday. He has a .350 career batting average against Arizona in 67 games, which ranks fifth among active Arizona opponents.Blackmon and the Rockies will face multiple pitchers Wednesday. De La Rosa will be on a 60-pitch limit while making his second start since missing 3 1/2 months with a right elbow sprain. He threw 43 pitches in two innings against San Francisco on Friday, when he gave up one run on one hit.De La Rosa (4-5, 4.17 ERA) was successful against the Rockies the only other time he faced them this year. He went 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball in a 5-1 win at Coors Field on May 10.In eight career games (six starts) against Arizona, De La Rosa is 4-1 with a 3.43 ERA.Hoffman, who will make his fifth major league start, is coming off his shortest career outing. He lasted 2 2/3 innings Thursday in a 14-1 loss at San Diego, giving up six hits and seven runs (zero earned).Hoffman, who made a quality start at Washington in his second career start Aug. 26, is 0-3 with a 5.60 ERA. He was acquired from Toronto in the package that sent Troy Tulowitzki to the Blue Jays at the 2015 trade deadline. Enos Slaughter Cardinals Jersey .Y. -- Sabres defenceman Tyler Myers had no intention of changing his hard-hitting style before taking part in a disciplinary hearing for his illegal check to New Jersey forward Dainius Zubrus head. Vada Pinson Cardinals Jersey .C. -- Manny Malhotra had two goals and an assist, leading the Carolina Hurricanes to a 6-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. https://www.cheapcardinalsonline.com/2504t-giovanny-gallegos-jersey-cardinals.html . On Saturday night, the normally free throw-challenged centre did just that. Howard scored 18 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, including 13 of 19 free throws in a 2 1/2-minute stretch, and the Houston Rockets beat the Denver Nuggets 122-111. Ramon Urias Cardinals Jersey . -- Derrick Rose shook off poor shooting early to hit clutch shots late and Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 104-95 preseason victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. Rangel Ravelo Cardinals Jersey . Nine days before the opening ceremony, organizing committee chief Dmitry Chernyshenko said Wednesday that Sochi is "fully ready" and will deliver safe, friendly and well-run games that defy the grim reports that have overshadowed preparations. You can have your Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Everyone knows the holiday shopping season doesnt really kick into high gear until the annual appearance of the Uni Watch Holiday Gift Guide, your best source for gift items related to the visual culture of sports.The ground rules are the same as in the past: If youre looking for your basic jerseys and caps, you wont find those here (you already know where to find those). But if youre searching for unusual products relating to uniforms, team logos, sports equipment or any other area of athletics aesthetics, youve come to the right place.This years haul features items from a wide range of sports and price points, so there should be something for everyone. Ready? Here we go.1. Displays for your bobblehead collectionSure, you could just put your bobblehead collection on shelves like everyone else. But why do that when your bobbleheads can live in their own dugout, or bullpen, or penalty box, or grandstand? All that and more is available from BobbleHouse Industries, which creates sports-themed environments that are sized just right for bobblehead dolls. If you dont like any of their stock items, theyll custom-design something for you. A great way to enhance your collection. Check them out here.2. NBA cashmere sweaters and accessoriesGot a spare $1,620 burning a hole in your pocket? Thats how much itll run you to score one of the new NBA cashmere sweaters from the luxury brand Elder Statesman. If you cant afford that, you can always get a cashmere hoodie for $1,200, a cashmere scarf for $725 or a cashmere pompom cap for $420. Sure, the prices are ridiculous, but its still pretty amusing to see classic NBA designs like the Lakers chest lettering rendered in cashmere. (Ditto for not-so-classic designs like the Clippers current logo.) Unfortunately, they dont have a cashmere version of the Hawks neon-green graphics -- maybe next year. Additional info here, and you can check out the full product line here.3. St. Louis Cardinals Uniforms & Logos: An Illustrated History, 1882-2016The Cardinals have had Major League Baseballs best uniforms for several generations running, and this new book, produced by the Cardinals Hall of Fame, takes a detail-driven look at the teams uni history, dating back all the way to 1882. Each entry on the teams uniform timeline is showcased with a series of illustrations and archival photos, and every part of the uniform is covered, from caps and jerseys to socks and sleeve patches. A must for Cardinals fans, and a valuable addition to any uniform aficionados library. Get it here. (Also worthwhile: Redbird Relics, a book featuring items from the Cardinals Hall of Fames collection, including lots of uniforms. Get that one here.)4. Game Worn: Baseball Treasures from the Games Greatest Heroes and MomentsYa say ya want more than just Cardinals uniforms? This new volume from Smithsonian Books charts the course of baseball history through the uniforms worn by the games biggest stars. The early chapters highlight the jerseys worn by legends like Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb and Bob Feller, while later chapters focus on the expansion era, the move to double-knit uniforms and the modern era (you can see some of the books interior pages here). Spectacular photography showcases the feel of each uniform, from the textured flannel of Jackie Robinsons Brooklyn Dodgers jersey to the deep powder blue of George Bretts Royals road uni. A treat for any uniform fan. Get it here.5. Team logo lawn stencil kitsShow your team pride, and make the neighbors jealous while youre at it, with these lawn stencil kits from the appropriately named Great Big LLogo company.dddddddddddd. The kits are available for a range of college teams, and each one comes with the appropriate paint colors for the job. Get them here.6. Painted baseball batsLets face it: Most baseball bats are pretty plain-looking objects. But if you start painting stripes and patterns on them, theyre transformed into surprisingly cool display pieces. Two companies excel at this: Mitchell Bat Company, which specializes in vibrant stripes (check them out here), and Pillbox Bat Co., which adorns its product line with very handsome flag-based imagery (check them out here). The only problem is that youll never find a stocking long enough to stuff the bats into!7. Smartphone cases with real hockey lacesYou might think all shoelaces are pretty much the same. But any serious hockey fan can pick out real skate laces, which have diagonal ticking stripes running through the cloth. Now you can get a Lace Case -- an iPhone case made with real skate laces. Its an ingeniously simple and visually effective way to tell the world which sport is your favorite. Get it here.8. Wallets lined with game-used uniformsPut your money where your uni is -- or maybe its the other way around -- with these genuine leather wallets lined with swatches from authenticated game-used jerseys. Available in a wide range of NFL, MLB, NCAA and NHL teams. Get them here.9. Vintage program and ticket graphics on canvas wrapsIf youre a sucker for the design of vintage program covers, old-school ticket stubs and other sports graphics from yesteryear, youll love Moonlight Wraps, which produces professional-looking canvas reproductions of classic sports designs and illustrations. The pieces are ready to be hung on the wall, and the prices are surprisingly reasonable. Check them out here.10. Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente T-shirtsIf you or someone on your shopping list is a fan of Roberto Clemente or Jackie Robinson -- and really, who isnt? -- youll like these retro T-shirts. Granted, the $39.95 price tag is pretty steep, but come on, its the holidays. Jackets and caps are also available. Check out the full product line here.Old favorites and honorable mentions:? If theres a Dallas Cowboys fan on your shopping list, maybe hed enjoy this selection of Cowboys underwear.? This print of an old patent drawing for a baseball would look nifty on someones wall.? These NFL and college football blankets look good and will keep you toasty this winter.? Menswear accessory maker Josh Bach makes some interesting baseball-themed neckties featuring pitchers grips, demolished stadiums?and field patterns.? Do you want your favorite teams logo on a dartboard cabinet? Sure you do!? Cycling fans will want to check out this new book about cycling jerseys.? These NHL adult onesies are endearingly absurd.? Old-school video gamers will love these Tecmo Bowl T-shirts.? Your go-to source for throwback college football helmets is still Gridiron Memories.?You can still get beautiful illustrations of old-timey baseball stadiums from Jeff Suntala.?And your best bet for spectacular one-of-a-kind painted baseball gloves is still artist Sean Kane.Paul Lukas knows whos been naughty and whos been nice, but hes not telling. If you like this column, youll probably like his Uni Watch Blog, plus you can follow him on Twitter and Facebook. Want to learn about his Uni Watch Membership Program??Sign up for his mailing list so youll always know when a new column has been posted or to just ask him a question. Contact him here. ' ' '