Rockies at Dodgers
The Colorado Rockies are on the verge of climbing back to .500 as they force their way up the standings in the National League West. The Rockies will try to reach the break-even point and polish off a rare three-game sweep at Dodger Stadium when they visit Los Angeles for the series finale on Sunday.
Colorado received eight scoreless innings from Tyler Anderson in Friday's 3-1 triumph and watched German Marquez take a no-hitter into the sixth inning in Saturday's 3-1 victory, silencing a Dodgers lineup that smashed 55 home runs in June. The strong pitching performance by Marquez helped the Rockies overcome an offensive effort that saw the No. 3 and 4 hitters in the lineup - Nolan Arenado and Carlos Gonzalez - combine to go 0-for-8 with six strikeouts. Los Angeles has dropped three in a row and four of five to fall four games behind first-place Arizona in the NL West. The Dodgers will try to avoid the sweep Sunday behind Ross Stripling while Colorado sends Chad Bettis to the mound.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountain (Colorado), SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Chad Bettis (5-1, 5.07 ERA) vs. Dodgers RH Ross Stripling (6-2, 1.98)
Bettis allowed at least five runs in five straight outings before posting a quality start in a no-decision at San Francisco on Tuesday. The Texan allowed six hits and walked four but limited the damage to two runs over 6 1/3 frames. Bettis was solid in a no-decision at Los Angeles on May 22 but was ripped by the Dodgers at home on June 3, surrendering five runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Stripling is 6-1 with a 1.86 ERA in 10 starts since joining the rotation for good on May 6, allowing fewer than three earned runs in nine of those outings. The 28-year-old yielded one run and seven hits in five innings against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday but did not factor in the decision in a game the Dodgers went on to lose 9-4. Stripling will be facing Colorado for the first time this season but is 1-1 with a 1.98 ERA in nine career games - two starts - against the division rival.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Rockies assigned RHP Jon Gray, their starter on Opening Day, to Triple-A Albuquerque on Saturday.
2. Los Angeles LF Matt Kemp is 1-for-19 over his last six games.
3. Colorado SS Trevor Story is 6-for-11 during the team's three-game winning streak.