Rockies at Dodgers
The Colorado Rockies squandered their chance to distance themselves from the pack in the National League wild-card race, going just 3-6 on their nine-game homestand. Colorado will have to try to gain some separation on the road as it begins a crucial eight-game trek on Thursday with the opener of a four-game series against the major league-best - and supremely struggling - Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Rockies failed to complete a three-game sweep of San Francisco on Wednesday, allowing 17 hits in an 11-3 defeat, and saw their lead for the second wild card shrink to two games over St. Louis while Milwaukee remained 2 1/2 back. Los Angeles' advantage in the NL West is dangerously close to single digits after it was outscored 19-2 during a three-game sweep at the hands of wild card-leading Arizona, which has trimmed its deficit for the division crown to 10 1/2 games thanks to a 13-game winning streak. The Dodgers, who can clinch a playoff berth Thursday with a victory and a loss by the Chicago Cubs, managed only four hits in Wednesday's 3-1 setback - their sixth loss in a row and 11th in 12 contests. Rookie Cody Bellinger drove in the lone run in the defeat, raising his team-leading RBI total to 83 in just 109 games.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Colorado), SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Jon Gray (6-4, 4.26 ERA) vs. Dodgers LH Clayton Kershaw (16-2, 1.95)
Gray is coming off a loss to Arizona on Saturday in which he gave up three runs on five hits and three walks in five innings. The 25-year-old native of Oklahoma has allowed three runs or fewer in each of his last eight outings but is just 3-3 in that span. Gray is 2-3 with a 3.75 ERA in seven career starts against Los Angeles, including a no-decision on April 8 in which he allowed one run over 5 1/3 frames despite yielding four hits and three walks.
Kershaw is expected to make his second start since missing over one month with a lower back strain. The three-time NL Cy Young Award winner showed no ill effects from the injury in his return, as he allowed two hits and struck out seven over six scoreless innings of a triumph at San Diego on Friday - his 12th straight victory since losing to San Francisco on May 1. Kershaw yielded four runs over six frames in a loss at Colorado on April 8 but won his next three turns against the Rockies, allowing a total of four runs over 20 innings, to improve to 21-6 lifetime versus the club.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Dodgers have lost five straight at home, scoring a total of four runs while getting shut out twice.
2. Colorado 2B DJ LeMahieu is riding a 14-game hitting streak after going 5-for-13 in the three-game series against San Francisco.
3. Los Angeles purchased the contract of Walker Buehler from Triple-A Oklahoma City and designated fellow RHP Fabio Castillo for assignment.