Plagued by a disastrous fifth inning, the Los Angeles Dodgers suffered a lopsided 9-1 loss in Monday’s series opener against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.
Even with the loss, the Dodgers still boast a solid 8-3 record over their National League West rival this season. L.A. continues holding a commanding 14-game lead over the second-place Arizona Diamondbacks in the division, while Colorado, at 50-67, find themselves at the bottom of the standings.
Looking for a bounce back, the Dodgers send Julio Urias to the mound for his first start since June, as he fills the spot of the injured Ross Stripling. The left-hander has been dominant in the month of July, yielding only one run over 7.1 innings out of the bullpen (four appearances).
In 23 appearances (five starts) this season, Urias has compiled a 4-2 record, 2.34 ERA, 3.51 FIP and 0.97 WHIP with 59 strikeouts against 19 walks over 57.2 innings.
The 22-year-old has faced the Rockies on two occasions this season — once as a starter and the other as a reliever — pitching to a 4.05 ERA and 1.50 WHIP with six strikeouts against five walks in 6.2 innings pitched.
In his career against Colorado, Urias is 0-1 with a 6.62 ERA and 1.64 WHIP across 17.2 innings of work (five games, three starts). At Coors Field, he has struggled to the tune of a 7.90 ERA and 1.83 WHIP in 13.2 innings pitched (four appearances, two starts).
The Rockies counter with fellow left-hander Kyle Freeland, who looks to build off an excellent start against the Washington Nationals. In six innings, he allowed only one unearned run on four hits while accumulating four strikeouts.
The 2019 season has been an overall struggle for Freeland, who enters with a 2-8 record, 7.00 ERA, 5.82 FIP and 1.58 WHIP in 73.1 innings pitched (15 starts).
He has typically fared well against the Dodgers over the course of his career, having posted a 3.40 ERA and 1.44 WHIP with 37 strikeouts in 45 innings pitched (eight starts).
Freeland, however, has been dreadful at Coors Field this season, pitching to a 9.55 ERA and 1.79 WHIP in seven previous starts. That’s in comparison to a 4.91 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in eight starts on the road.
Tony Gonsolin traveled with the Dodgers to Colorado and was activated before first pitch. With Urias presumably on a short leash, he could be in line to log multiple innings on Tuesday.
Kristopher Negrón starts at second base for his Dodgers debut. He was acquired Sunday night in a trade with the Seattle Mariners. Tyler White also makes his debut with the Dodgers since being acquired from the Houston Astros.
Dodgers lineup:
CF: A.J. Pollock
SS: Corey Seager
3B: Justin Turner
RF: Cody Bellinger
1B: Tyler White
LF: Alex Verdugo
2B: Kristopher Negrón
C: Russell Martin
P: Julio Urias
Rockies lineup:
CF: David Dahl
SS: Trevor Story
3B: Nolan Arenado
1B: Daniel Murphy
LF: Ian Desmond
2B: Ryan McMahon
RF: Raimel Tapia
C: Chris Iannetta
P: Kyle Freeland
