GAME:
Colorado Rockies (72-88) at Los Angeles Dodgers (92-68)
DATE/TIME:
Saturday, September 28 - 9:10 PM EST
WHERE:
Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California
LINE:
N/A
TOTAL:
N/A
The Los Angeles Dodgers continue to set up their pitching rotation for the postseason when they host the Colorado Rockies on Saturday. After Clayton Kershaw - their likely National League Division Series Game 1 starter - struck out eight in six innings in his last outing of the regular season Friday, Zack Greinke takes the ball for his final tuneup and tries for his eighth straight victory. The Dodgers are the No. 3 seed and will open their best-of-5 series at Atlanta or St. Louis on Thursday.
Los Angeles manager Don Mattingly continues to rest some of his regulars as shortstop Hanley Ramirez took Friday off. Andre Ethier, who has recorded one at-bat since injuring his ankle Sept. 13, hit in a simulated game in Arizona on Friday, but his postseason status remain in question. The Rockies have been outscored 26-5 in their last two contests following Friday's 11-0 loss and face the final two games in the 17-year career of first baseman Todd Helton, who has 998 extra-base hits.
TV: 9:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Colorado), FSN Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Juan Nicasio (8-9, 5.32 ERA) vs. Dodgers RH Zack Greinke (15-3, 2.67)
Nicasio continued his late-season slide by allowing seven runs and as many hits en route to matching a season-low 2 1/3 innings of Colorado's 13-9 loss to Arizona on Sunday. The 27-year-old Dominican yielded 15 runs in his last two starts and is 0-3 over his last five outings with a 10.18 ERA during that span. Nicasio is 2-2 with a 4.21 ERA against Los Angeles, including a 3-0 victory July 12 when allowed three hits in seven innings.
Greinke had a string of 10 consecutive quality starts snapped when he allowed two hits in only five innings of the Dodgers' 1-0 victory at San Diego on Sunday. With Los Angeles already in the playoffs, Mattingly will probably use the 29-year-old in similar fashion Saturday. Greinke pitched a two-hitter while striking out nine in the Dodgers' 1-0 victory over the Rockies on July 13 to improve to 3-1 with a 4.60 ERA against them.
WALK-OFFS
1. Rockies RF Michael Cuddyer went 0-for-4 to drop his average to .333, but leads Atlanta's Chris Johnson by nine points in the race for the NL batting title.
2. Dodgers RF Yasiel Puig on Friday fouled a pitch off his leg in the fifth inning and left the game after flying out.
3. Los Angeles 1B Adrian Gonzalez hit a solo home run Friday for his 100th RBI - the sixth time he has reached the century mark in his career.
PREDICTION: Dodgers 3, Rockies 2