Los Angeles @ Colorado preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 19, 2011 ) LA Dodgers 8, Colorado 2

THE STORY: The Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies are in a virtual tie in the standings, but their placement in the National League West isn’t what either team envisioned as they enter Saturday’s second contest of a three-game series. The two teams are tied for third in the division and not part of the playoff race. Both teams trail the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks by 11 1/2 games. Los Angeles won Friday’s opener to take a 7-6 lead over the Rockies in the season series. Colorado has lost 12 of its last 19 games.

TV: 4:10 p.m. ET

PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers LH Ted Lilly (7-13, 4.54 ERA) vs. Rockies RH Esmil Rogers (6-2, 6.00 ERA).

Lilly lost to Milwaukee in his last outing despite giving up just one run and two hits over seven innings. He has suffered three straight losses even though he has allowed just four runs and 12 hits in 21 innings. Los Angeles was blanked twice and scored just one run in Lilly’s other outing. Lilly is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA in two starts against Colorado this season and has a 7-2 career mark and 3.99 ERA in 10 starts. Troy Tulowitzki is batting just .143 with eight strikeouts in 21 career at-bats against Lilly.

Rogers allowed four runs and six hits in six innings while losing to St. Louis in his last start. He walked a career-high seven and struck out five. He had won four straight decisions prior to the loss. Rogers is making only his fifth career start at Coors Field. He is 1-1 with a 11.25 ERA in home starts. Rogers has a 5.40 ERA in five career appearances (one start) against the Dodgers.

ABOUT THE ROCKIES (58-68): Colorado scored 24 runs over the first three games of its homestand before being limited to two runs and five hits on Friday. Tulowitzki had two hits and is 9-for-18 over the last five games. Tulowitzki doubled twice and has 24 extra-base hits over his past 35 games. He is batting .404 against Los Angeles this season. Carlos Gonzalez went 1-for-3 with an RBI to extend his hitting streak to seven games. He has 12 RBIs during the streak and is batting .462 against the Dodgers this season. Mark Ellis was hitless in four at-bats and is just 1-for-14 over the last four contests.

ABOUT THE DODGERS (57-67): Los Angeles has scored 46 runs in seven games at Coors Field this season. Rod Barajas homered and had four RBIs before leaving in the sixth inning on Friday with a minor groin injury. He is 4-for-8 with two homers over the past two games. Tony Gwynn Jr. hit his second homer and now has seven career homers in 1,187 at-bats. Matt Kemp extended his hitting streak to nine games and is batting .351 during that span. Andre Ethier missed Friday’s game after having part of his infected right big toenail removed. Ethier is hitting just .111 over his last eight games. Casey Blake (shoulder) sat out his second straight game.

FINAL PITCH: Colorado failed to homer in Friday’s loss to end a season tying-best streak of 10 straight games with at least one homer. It was the third time the Rockies have homered in 10 consecutive games this season.