DENVER -- It took a move to No. 2 in the Colorado Rockies' lineup for second baseman Aaron Miles to lift his batting average.

In seven games in the second spot, counting a pair of at-bats when he entered late in Sunday's 5-4 home loss to Arizona, Miles has hit .370 (10-for-27) with one home run and six RBIs, plus a walk, a sacrifice fly and a sacrifice bunt.

"I'm comfortable there," Miles said. "I don't think you can ask for a better spot in the order."

Miles had a .291 average at the top spot, but he was slumping at the time he was moved down in the order. He also didn't register a walk in 86 at-bats leading off.

Miles, 28, batted leadoff as a rookie last season, and finished with a .293 average but a less-than-desirable .329 on-base percentage. He entered this season batting ahead of Clint Barmes, although their Minor League histories suggested they would be better flip-flopped. Since the change, Barmes has hit in eight straight games to extend his hitting streak to 11 and stayed at or near the top of the National League in batting average.

Just having Barmes on base has opened holes for Miles, who was a stellar performer in Double-A and Triple-A in the Chicago White Sox organization while batting in the second spot. Having Todd Helton getting hot in the third position doesn't hurt, either.

Manager Clint Hurdle said the requirements of Miles' new spot fall in line better with his talents.

"I think he has the freedom now just to be instinctive at the plate with his hands and his bat," Hurdle said. "We've simplified things for him. He doesn't have to work counts to the degree he was earlier.

"We've told him that in offensive counts we want him looking for a pitch he can hit, where before, 3-1, he was taking balls. We tried. He tried. We felt we had better alternatives, so we made the switch. It proved beneficial for both of those guys involved."

The switch-hitting Miles approached leadoff hitting as a challenge, and the competitor in him surfaced.

"I've said this before, but when I get to my approach, hitting the way I know I can, I know I'll be successful in the No. 2 slot, and even being the leadoff hitter," Miles said.

Hits, and errors: Barmes will enter Tuesday night's opener of a three-game series at Coors Field against San Francisco with a .386 batting average. But on Sunday, he committed his eighth error of the season on a wild throw, and he leads Major League shortstops in miscues.

Clint Barmes  /   SS
		Born: 03/06/79 Height: 6'0" Weight: 175 lbs Bats: R / Throws: R More info: Player page Stats | Splits Gallery Team Site | Shop

The error came on an aggressive play when he fielded a ball going to his left and overthrew his target while trying to retire Arizona's Luis Gonzalez in the first inning.

While Barmes doesn't want to make such errors, he isn't going to play more conservatively just to avoid them. Through Sunday afternoon, Barmes' 5.34 chances per nine innings was the fourth-highest average in the Majors. Turning tentative, he believes, is worse than making errors.

"I know that if I'm going to make a mistake, it's going to be aggressive," Barmes said. "I can accept aggressive mistakes. I'm definitely not going to be gun-shy at anything, especially defensively. I'll learn from my mistakes today and come back out on Tuesday."

Looking for answers: Rockies closer Chin-hui Tsao has been scarce around the clubhouse lately as the club's medical staff tries to figure out the root of the right shoulder problems that have him on the disabled list.

The Rockies are being careful, referring to the problem as soreness, but they won't say if they suspect that anything is torn. Tsao is being sent to Angels medical director and noted pitching arm specialist Dr. Lewis Yocum this week for a second opinion.

Tsao, who spent the early part of last season on the Minor League DL and has been on the Major League DL twice this year, isn't guessing.

"Sometimes, I'm just sad," Tsao said. "I don't know. I just want to not hurt anymore."