Colorado @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 29, 2012 ) Colorado 0, LA Dodgers 3

The Los Angeles Dodgers suddenly look like a team nobody wants to face in the postseason. Now they just need to find a way into the party. Los Angeles has won four straight for the first time since Aug. 12-15, but is is two games behind St. Louis for the second wild card with four to play. After struggling offensively for weeks, the Dodgers have come alive of late. The heart of the Dodgers' order – Matt Kemp, Adrian Gonzalez and Hanley Ramirez – went a combined 8-for-12 in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Colorado. Kemp homered twice in the win, and Gonzalez went 2-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to 11 games.

The Dodgers are also receiving solid outings from their starting pitchers as they head into the series finale against Colorado. Los Angeles’ starters boast a 2.33 ERA (19 earned runs) in its last 13 games. While the Dodgers are streaking, the Rockies are finishing with a thud. Colorado’s scoreless streak stands at 23 innings, and the Rockies need to win one of their final four games to avoid 100 losses. Thanks to injuries to Tyler Colvin, Todd Helton, Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez, Jason Giambi, Dexter Fowler, Michael Cuddyer and Eric Young Jr., the Rockies are giving their young players ample playing time down the stretch.

TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Colorado), PRIME (Los Angeles)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies LH Jorge De La Rosa (0-1, 9.45 ERA) vs. Dodgers RH Josh Beckett (1-3, 3.16)

De La Rosa has struggled in his first two starts since missing nearly a year after Tommy John surgery. He allowed four runs (two earned) over three innings last Tuesday against the Cubs, and he’s yielded 10 runs (seven earned) through his two starts. The 31-year-old is 0-6 with a 5.98 ERA in 12 career games (eight starts) against the Dodgers.

Beckett is set to make his seventh start with Los Angeles after allowing one run over 5 2/3 innings last Tuesday against the Padres. While Beckett has won just one of his six starts since being traded from Boston, he has a 3.16 ERA over that stretch. The right-hander is 4-2 with a 4.01 ERA in seven career starts against Colorado.

WALK-OFFS

1. Dodgers SS Luis Cruz left Saturday’s game with a headache, but he expects to return for the series finale.

2. Rockies C Wilin Rosario’s 27 home runs lead all National League catchers and are the fourth-most for a rookie catcher in major league history.

3. Dodgers C A.J. Ellis has at least one RBI in five consecutive games after going 15 games without one.