The Los Angeles Dodgers bounced back from a tough weekend to rout the Colorado Rockies in the opener of a three-game series on Monday.
The Dodgers will try to make it two straight in Denver when the teams play again Tuesday night.
Los Angeles’ 11-5 win on Monday came after losing three of four to Milwaukee in a pivotal matchup of National League division leaders. Pivoting from facing the team with the best record in the majors to one with the worst in the NL proved to be a good remedy.
It also helped that starter Blake Snell pitched six strong innings in his second start since May 9, and he will pass the baton to left-hander Eric Lauer (7-6, 4.67 ERA) for Tuesday night’s game. Colorado will send righty Ryan Feltner (5-6, 5.59) to try to even the series.
Lauer has been a different pitcher since coming to Los Angeles from Toronto in mid-May.
He was 1-5 with a 6.69 ERA with the Toronto Blue Jays before being sent to the Dodgers for cash. He has tossed at least 5 1/3 innings in nine of his 11 starts for Los Angeles and came up big in his last outing on Wednesday, throwing 112 pitches in a win against Kansas City to help a fatigued bullpen.
“Eric’s a smart player, been around, and I say smart in the sense of understanding where our bullpen was at, and we had essentially everybody down,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “The compete, the finding a way to get guys out, get his pitch count back online (was huge).”
Lauer has faced the Rockies more than any other team in his career, going is 3-6 with a 6.21 ERA in 15 appearances (all starts). He pitched six innings against them on July 6 but received a no-decision.
He may not have to face Colorado’s most dangerous hitter. Hunter Goodman leads the Rockies with 34 home runs, but the All-Star catcher has not played since Wednesday due to a shoulder injury suffered at Arizona.
Goodman worked out before Monday’s game but manager Warren Schaeffer said he would not play him in the opener.
“It’s going to be day to day. He’s gotten treatment a couple times, different times today. Left shoulder. Happened on a swing down there in Arizona, I think in his last at-bat,” Schaeffer said. “He texted me (Thursday); his shoulder was bothering him.”
Goodman isn’t the only Colorado player sidelined. Third baseman Kyle Karros was placed on the concussion injured list after he collided with shortstop Ezequiel Tovar trying to field a grounder in Arizona on Aug. 11.
That could leave Feltner without two of the team’s best defensive players when he makes his ninth career appearance (eighth start) against the Dodgers. He is 1-3 with a 6.19 ERA in the eight previous outings.
His last start against the Dodgers came at home on April 18 when he allowed three runs (two earned) in 5 2/3 innings but didn’t get a decision in the Rockies’ 4-3 win.
–Field Level Media
