The inevitable has come as the Dodgers red-hot ways have seemingly hit the wayside, at least for now. The team has lost four games in a row, and six of their last eight. The last thing they need is a trip to Coors Field, right?
Well, it might not be all that bad given that they’re up against a reliever-converted-to-starter in Josh Outman tonight. Outman is the pitcher taking the place of Jamie Moyer, who was designated for assignment on Wednesday. Josh will be limited to 50 pitches tonight as Colorado looks to build up his stamina.
From there the Dodgers could get a look at Esmil Rogers, who Colorado will begin to audition given his recent trade interest by several clubs.
For the Dodgers, Chris Capuano looks to continue pitching like the club’s ace as he hunts for his eighth victory of the season, which would tie him once again with Cole Hamels and Lance Lynn for the Major League lead. Capuano has been stellar since losing to the Padres (his lone defeat) two weeks ago, winning each of his last two starts, and posting a 1.38 ERA in doing so.
The Rockies enter play tonight with quite the opposite streak of the Dodgers, having won four straight, and six of their last eight. Without superstar Troy Tulowitzki the Rockies have not struggled to score, putting up 24 runs in two games.
Los Angeles Dodgers (32-19) at Colorado Rockies (21-29)
5:40 PM PST, June 1, 2012
Coors Field, Denver, Colorado
TV: Prime Ticket
Radio: 570 AM (English), 1020 AM (Spanish)
Game-Time Weather: 73 degrees, Mostly Cloudy
Rockies Projected Starters:
P: Josh Outman
C: Wilin Rosario
1B: Todd Helton
2B: Marco Scutaro
SS: D.J. LeMahieu
3B: Chris Nelson
LF: Carlos Gonzalez
CF: Dexter Fowler
RF: Michael Cuddyer
Key Bench Players: OF Eric Young, Jr., OF Tyler Colvin
For more information on the Rockies, check out our pre-series report.
Dodgers Last 10: (4-6): L vs MIL, L vs MIL, L vs MIL, L vs MIL, W vs HOU, W vs HOU, L vs HOU, L @ ARI, W @ ARI, W @ ARI.
Rockies Last 10: (6-4): W vs HOU, W vs HOU, W vs HOU, W vs HOU, L @ CIN, L @ CIN, W @ CIN, W @ MIA, L @ MIA, L @ MIA.
Fun Facts:
- The Dodgers lead the overall series against the Rockies by a margin of 178-131, including a 4-2 record this season against Colorado, dropping two of three in Denver.
- In sweeping the Houston Astros in a four-game series, the Rockies received their first ever player to homer in four consecutive at-bats — Carlos Gonzalez.
- Rockies starter Josh Outman faced just one batter in taking his first loss of the season, allowing an infield single against James Loney.
Keys to a Dodger Victory:
- Make the Most of Your At-Bats
The Dodgers actually outhit the Brewers by six hits in getting swept four games, but couldn’t cash in on any of their big opportunities, and were outscored by nine runs. The good news is that they can hit, but will they continue to struggle in the clutch? The answer to that question will define the outcome not only of tonight’s game, but the course of the month of June.
An interesting battle will take place over the weekend between co-leaders in the National League’s RBI race between Andre Ethier and Carlos Gonzalez, who both enter tonight’s game with 44 RBIs apiece. He who comes out swinging (and driving in runs) will snatch the advantage in the favor of his ball-club.
- Continue Where you Left Off From
Chris Capuano clearly out-dueled Jamie Moyer back on May 11th, and would have gone toe-to-toe with just about anybody out there, having allowed a run on four hits in 7.0 innings. He has allowed just one earned run in six of his last seven starts, a fact that compliments his 2.14 ERA. These Rockies like to hit, and will be looking to knock Capuano out early, especially if he struggles, which he is notorious for, at least for one inning.
He had no problem dazzling at Dodger Stadium, and could very well continue to do so tonight in Denver.
Best-Case Prediction: Dodgers 4, Rockies 1
Worst-Case: Rockies 7, Dodgers 3
