Los Angeles @ Colorado preview
Coors Field
Last Meeting ( Aug 19, 2010 ) Colorado 0, LA Dodgers 2
As the three teams above them in the National League wild-card standings have struggled, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies have thrown their hats back into the ring. This weekend, they will be duking it out with each other for a chance to move even closer to the top.
The Dodgers and Rockies both look to extend winning streaks tonight when they begin a three-game series at Coors Field.
Los Angeles climbed within five games of San Francisco for the wild card, completing a three-game sweep of Milwaukee on Thursday with a 7-1 victory. Casey Blake homered and Scott Podsednik recorded three hits and an RBI while six pitchers combined on a two-hitter.
It was the fourth win in five games for the Dodgers, who have beaten the Rockies in six of their last eight meetings - including two of three in Los Angeles last week.
Colorado has won four in a row and is coming off a three-game sweep of Atlanta. It staged a remarkable comeback on Wednesday, overcoming a nine-run deficit to post a 12-10 win.
The Rockies, who also have won four straight and 10 of 12 at home, are four games behind the Giants in the wild-card standings. San Francisco has lost three of its last five and six of 10, while Philadelphia - which trails the Giants by one-half game - has dropped four in a row and six of eight.
St. Louis, which is 1 1/2 games off the pace, has lost three straight contests and eight of 11.
Tonight's starting pitchers will lock horns for the second time this season. In their first meeting, Colorado's Ubaldo Jimenez allowed just one run and two hits in seven innings but was outdone by Los Angeles' Clayton Kershaw, who yielded just two hits over eight scoreless frames en route to a 2-0 triumph.
It was the first of three wins over the Rockies this season for Kershaw, who has given up just two runs over 20 innings in the victories for a 0.90 ERA. The 22-year-old has a lifetime record of 5-3 with a 3.48 ERA in 11 starts against Colorado and is 3-2 with a 6.39 ERA at Coors Field.
Kershaw has struggled of late, however, losing three of his last four decisions and four of six. On Sunday, the left-hander allowed three runs and five hits with 11 strikeouts in seven innings but took the loss in a 5-2 setback to Cincinnati.
In 11 road starts this season, Kershaw is 4-4 with a 2.98 ERA.
Looking to become the first 18-game winner in the major leagues, Jimenez has lost two straight decisions but allowed three earned runs or fewer in each of his last five starts. Despite yielding just three runs and three hits in six innings at Arizona on Saturday, he was saddled with his fourth loss of the season in a 3-1 defeat.
Jimenez owns a 5-4 record and 5.37 ERA in 13 career games, including one relief appearance, against Los Angeles.
The 26-year-old has been unbeatable at home this year, going 8-0 with a 3.09 ERA in 11 starts.