Rockies at Dodgers
To say Adrian Gonzalez is off to a fast start would be an understatement as the Los Angeles first baseman looks to continue his assault on pitching Sunday when the Dodgers try for a three-game sweep of the visiting Colorado Rockies. Gonzalez leads the majors in batting average (.523) and RBIs (14) while pacing the National League with five homers after driving in three runs in Los Angeles' 6-3 victory Saturday, Colorado's eighth straight loss at Dodger Stadium.
Gonzalez isn't the only Los Angeles player who has gotten out of the gate quickly as second baseman Howie Kendrick is making the Dodgers' trade for the veteran look good. Kendrick had two hits Saturday to raise his average to .357 and recorded his ninth RBI while batting in the clean-up spot. The Rockies, who were a major league-worst 21-60 on the road in 2014, have dropped two straight away games after winning their first six such contests for the first time in club history. Los Angeles' Brandon McCarthy is coming off a no-decision in which he yielded four home runs and struck out 10 and faces Eddie Butler, who has pitched out of trouble in his first two starts.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Colorado), SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Eddie Butler (1-0, 1.64 ERA) vs. Dodgers RH Brandon McCarthy (1-0, 6.75)
Butler yielded 10 walks and nine hits over 11 innings this season but Colorado prevailed in both outings, including 2-0 at San Francisco on Monday when he permitted six walks in 5 1/3 frames. "When the guys make contact, they usually hit the top of the ball,'' Rockies manager Walt Weiss told the Denver Post about Butler, who recorded 11 ground ball outs against the Giants. "Eddie created some traffic for himself, but he pitched through it. He pitched around it." The 24-year-old Virginian is 0-1 with a 9.90 ERA in two starts against Los Angeles - both last year, yielding 18 hits and six walks in 10 innings.
McCarthy yielded nine runs and 15 hits while striking out 19 over 12 innings in his first two starts, with the Dodgers winning both. The 31-year-old California native, who attended high school in Colorado Springs, is 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA in four starts against the Rockies in 2013 and 2014 as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Rockies' roster is hitting .400 against McCarthy, with Nolan Arenado (2-for-6) recording two home runs and Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez a combined 8-for-17.
WALK-OFFS
1. Los Angeles LF Carl Crawford missed Saturday's game because of a stomach ailment and was replaced by Andre Ethier, who started four straight games for the first time since June 28-July 2.
2. Dodgers RF Yasiel Puig on Saturday returned after missing three games with a tight hamstring and recorded two hits and an RBI.
3. Carlos Gonzalez is 4-for-29 in his last seven games after starting 5-for-13.