Rockies at Dodgers
Los Angeles' Zack Greinke looks to continue his dominance of the National League West when the Dodgers host the Colorado Rockies on Saturday in the middle contest of their three-game series. Greinke is 21-5 with a 2.94 ERA in 42 games (41 starts) against the division - 19-1 since joining the Dodgers in 2013 - and has also become quite the stopper as Los Angeles is 22-8 in his starts following a loss.
Greinke will not have the opportunity to fill that role as the Dodgers won the series opener 7-3 on Friday - their fifth straight victory - behind a 12-strikeout performance by reigning NL MVP Clayton Kershaw. Los Angeles star Adrian Gonzalez raised his batting average to .550 after going 3-for-4 with three runs and two RBIs while Howie Kendrick belted his first home run in a Dodgers uniform and lifted his average to .342. Colorado (7-3) lost a series opener for the first time this season and failed in its bid to match the 2011 team for best start in franchise history after 10 games while losing its first road contest after starting with six victories. Colorado's Jordan Lyles is off to a solid start in 2015, but is 0-2 with a 7.13 ERA in three career starts versus Los Angeles - all at Dodger Stadium.
TV: 9:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Colorado), SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Jordan Lyles (1-0, 2.25 ERA) vs. Dodgers RH Zack Greinke (1-0, 0.69)
Lyles received a no-decision after yielding three runs (one earned) in six innings of a 6-5 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday after permitting two runs in six innings of a 5-2 victory at Milwaukee on April 7 which snapped a seven-game winless streak on the road (0-3). The 24-year-old South Carolina native is 8-17 with a 5.02 ERA in 48 road games (44 starts). Gonzalez is 0-for-7 against Lyles while Jimmy Rollins is 5-for-10.
Greinke struck out seven in seven scoreless innings of Los Angeles' 7-4 victory at Arizona on Sunday. The 31-year-old native of Florida is 6-2 with a 3.53 ERA in 14 appearances (13 starts) against Colorado - 4-2, 3.50 in eight turns away from Coors Field - and was 3-0 in four starts versus the Rockies last season. Carlos Gonzalez (6-for-17, two home runs) has fared well against Greinke as has Drew Stubbs (11-for-26) and Michael McKenry (5-for-8).
WALK-OFFS
1. Colorado has lost seven straight at Dodger Stadium.
2. Los Angeles leads baseball with 110 strikeouts after fanning 16 on Friday.
3. Dodgers LHP Adam Liberatore on Friday made his major-league debut and pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning after being called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City earlier in the day.