Cozart finding his groove at the plate

CINCINNATI -- Reds shortstop Zack Cozart has gotten hot down the stretch this season, and his recent offensive tear had manager Dusty Baker considering moving him up in the batting order.

"It makes you tempted as a manager to move him, but he's certainly done so well in that spot," Baker said on Tuesday. "So I'll just leave him down there."

Cozart struggled earlier this season in the second spot but has thrived hitting either seventh or eighth. He hit seventh in Tuesday's 9-1 loss to the Cubs and went 1-for-4 with a double and a run. He also made a diving play at short.

Cozart has a career-high 14-game hitting streak, including a pair of doubles during Monday's 2-0 loss to Chicago. During the streak, he is batting .373 (22-for-59) and is hitting .347 (33-for-95) in his last 26 games.

Baker often likes to say that water seeks its own level for hitters, and believes that axiom applies to Cozart, too.

"He appears to be a lot more confident and a lot more aggressive," Baker said. "Life is pretty good when you're getting hits. Life is miserable when you're not. I told him before, that two hits a day for a week can cure almost any baseball ill that you have. He's been doing that for two weeks now."