The Los Angeles Dodgers rolled into Coors Field with a resurgent offense and looking to keep pressure on the National League West-leading San Francisco Giants. The Dodgers’ bats have gone quiet, and the club has needed to rely on the Philadelphia Phillies over the past two days.
San Francisco salvaged their series with a victory on Thursday afternoon, meaning the Dodgers enter play 2.5 games back of first place. Los Angeles also needs a win to avoid being swept in a three-game series.
The Dodgers were last swept in a three-game set at Coors Field in September 2015. They’re 22-11 in the final game of a series this season, and have only been swept twice (April 25-28 by the Miami Marlins and May 18-19 by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim).
Kenta Maeda starts on five days’ rest, which should bode well for him and a weary Dodgers bullpen. The right-hander owns a 2.65 ERA and opponents are batting .211 off him when Maeda starts on extra rest.
He has a 3.65 ERA and .230 batting average against in all other starts this season. Maeda is 1-1 with a 0.69 ERA and 0.77 WHIP in two starts against the Rockies. He carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning of a start at Coors Field on April 23.
Nolan Arenado is 0-for-6 off Maeda with two strikeouts, while Carlos Gonzalez is 1-for-6 with four strikeouts. Gonzalez sprained his left ankle during an at-bat in the seventh inning on Wednesday.
Gonzalez is available to pinch-hit in the series finale. DJ LeMahieu, who is 2-for-5 with two strikeouts, is the lone Rockies player with multiple hits against Maeda. Tyler Chatwood starts for the Rockies and faces a Dodgers lineup that sees the return of several regular starters.
He’s 10-6 this season with a 3.50 ERA, 4.22 FIP and 1.35 WHIP in 19 starts. The 26-year-old is 4-6 with a 5.69 ERA and 1.68 WHIP in 10 home starts. Although he’s struggled for much of the year, Chatwood has allowed just one run and has 10 strikeouts in his last two starts (12 innings pitched).
The right-hander went four innings against the Dodgers during an April start and allowed three runs. However, he held them to one run and one hit over eight innings on June 6 at Dodger Stadium.
The Rockies have thoroughly outhit the Dodgers through the first two games of the series, going 28-for-71 (.394) with 19 runs scored, five home runs and are 7-for-24 with runners in scoring position.
Conversely, the Dodgers are 11-for-62 (.177) with five runs, two homers, and just 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Los Angeles added a fresh arm to their bullpen by recalling Grant Dayton from Triple-A Oklahoma City. He replaced Brock Stewart on the active roster.
Dodgers lineup:
2B: Chase Utley
SS: Corey Seager
3B: Justin Turner
RF: Josh Reddick
1B: Adrian Gonzalez
C: Yasmani Grandal
LF: Howie Kendrick
CF: Joc Pederson
P: Kenta Maeda
Rockies lineup:
CF: Charlie Blackmon
2B: DJ Lemahieu
3B: Nolan Arenado
RF: David Dahl
1B: Mark Reynolds
LF: Daniel Descalso
SS: Cristhian Adames
C: Tony Wolters
P: Tyler Chatwood
