Dodgers: The Battle for the NL West

The Dodgers will square off against one the better National League teams this weekend, in what will ultimately be a battle for first place in the National League. The Rockies come into town just a game and a half behind Los Angeles for first place after faltering against Arizona this week.

The Dodgers and Rockies enter into Friday’s match up with very different moods. The Dodgers are coming off of a four-game sweep of the Mets, in which they dramatically outscored their opponents 36 to 11 and swatted a record-setting number of home runs. The Dodgers come into this series sitting a game and a half above both Arizona and Colorado, and an overall record of 15-5 for the month of June, including 13-1 their last 14 games.

The Rockies, on the other hand, will come into Dodger Stadium with their heads hung low. Colorado won the opening game of the series against Arizona but went on to get crushed over the next two games. The Diamondbacks outscored Colorado 29-12 at home, leaving the Rockies with a -17 run differential. That compared to the Dodgers’ +25 run differential should be a sign of how the series might shape up between now and Sunday.

Overall for the season, the Rockies have the edge over the Dodgers in head-to-head matchups, taking 5 of 9. But strangely enough, the Dodgers have outscored them in head to head games, 43 to 39. Let’s break down this big weekend series that could help separate the Dodgers as the cream of the crop of the NL.