Dodgers Rockies Game 1 Preview

The Dodgers return home after a very successful 7-3 roadtrip to take on the Rockies and lower their magic number to 12.

The only negative from yesterday’s game was Kenley Jansen being used in a low-leverage situation, making it a high-leverage situation and throwing 33 pitches. So he’s going to be unavailable for tonight’s game. It’s a good thing that Clayton Kershaw, who hasn’t thrown fewer than six innings since May, gets the ball in the series opener against the Rockies.

Sep 2, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Jon Gray (55) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

This will be Kershaw’s fifth start against Colorado this year, and he’s given up 11 combined runs in the first four, two of which came in the hell that is Coors Field. Kershaw is having an incredible season that’s somehow being overshadowed by Jake Arrieta and his own teammate, Zack Greinke. Kershaw’s slow start might keep him from winning the Cy Young for the third consecutive year, but if he reaches the 300 strikeout mark it’ll be hard to not give him the award. He’s currently 41 strikeouts away from 300 and is facing the team he has struck out the second-most in his career.

With Troy Tulowitzki in a different country, none of the Rockies have had sustained success against Kershaw in the past. Daniel Descalso has two hits in five at bats and Nolan Arenado has only struck out four times in 29 plate appearances, so I guess that counts as success.

If the Rockies weren’t a mess of a team, Arenado would probably be getting some love for MVP. Everyone knows how incredible he is defensively at third, but for a 24-year-old to have a .283/.318/.572 slashline and lead the league in two of the three triple crown categories is insane. He actually has more homers on the road than he does at Coors, but his slashline away from home is only .248/.285/.522 with a .229 BABIP. Whatever way you slice it, I don’t think I’m alone in saying that I would much rather not have to deal with him in the same division as the Dodgers.

Jon Gray will make his eighth career start for the Rockies and his first against the Dodgers. He’s winless in his first seven starts and owns an ugly 5.17 ERA (3.40 FIP is much nicer), but the former first round pick is coming off his first career scoreless outing in San Diego.

Corey Seager makes his Dodger Stadium debut tonight. He’s 14-34 and has eight walks and four strikeouts in 10 games this season and has at least one hit in every start he’s made except yesterday (when he went 0-4 but walked). He’s been so impressive and other than one bad inning in Anaheim, has looked more than passable defensively.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 PST and will be shown on Sportsnet LA.