Colorado @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 22, 2016 ) Colorado 4, LA Dodgers 7

Colorado Rockies right-hander Jon Gray is emerging as a bona fide ace and he attempts to back up the best effort of his young career when he faces the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday in the second contest of a four-game set. Gray struck out a career-high 16 and pitched a four-hit shutout against the San Diego Padres in his last outing.

The 24-year-old Gray has defeated Los Angeles twice this season and didn't allow a run in either start. He will again attempt to slow down a Dodgers' team that reduced its magic number to clinch the National League West to four with Thursday's 7-4 series-opening victory. Catcher Yasmani Grandal went 4-for-4 with two homers and five RBIs — including his second career grand slam — to help the Dodgers remain six games ahead of the San Francisco Giants. Colorado second baseman DJ LaMahieu went 2-for-4 with a homer to stretch his streak of reaching base to 38 consecutive games and he leads the NL with a .352 batting average, five points ahead of Washington's Daniel Murphy.

TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, ROOT (Colorado), SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Jon Gray (10-8, 4.42 ERA) vs. Dodgers LH Scott Kazmir (10-6, 4.59)

Gray is 2-1 with a 3.27 ERA in four 2016 starts against the Dodgers and is 2-2 with a 3.38 ERA in five career outings. He has fanned 10 or more batters five times this season and has 172 strikeouts overall, giving him an outside chance at joining Ubaldo Jimenez (214 in 2010) and Pedro Astacio (210 in 1999) as the only Colorado pitchers to record 200 in a season. Gray has struggled on the road with a 3-6 mark and 4.56 ERA in 13 starts.

Kazmir (neck) threw a 35-pitch bullpen session Tuesday and was cleared to make his first start since Aug. 22. Los Angeles hopes to stretch out the 32-year-old late in the season to access whether he is a possible starting option for the probable upcoming postseason berth. Kazmir is 2-0 with a 3.71 ERA in three career starts against the Rockies, including a no-decision July 2 when he struck out 10 while pitching six innings of three-hit shutout ball.

WALK-OFFS

1. Grandal was 5-for-39 with one homer over his previous 12 games prior to Thursday's eruption.

2. Colorado RF Carlos Gonzalez, who is one RBI from reaching 100 for the second time, is hitless in 11 career at-bats against Kazmir.

3. Los Angeles rookie SS Corey Seager, who is 5-for-9 with a homer against Gray, hasn't driven in a run over the past 10 games.

PREDICTION: Dodgers 4, Rockies 2