Los Angeles @ Colorado preview
Coors Field
Last Meeting ( Jul 27, 2011 ) Colorado 3, LA Dodgers 1
THE STORY: Pitching against the Colorado Rockies hasn’t been an easy task for Hiroki Kuroda. The Los Angeles Dodgers righthander has never defeated Colorado in nine career starts and seeks to end his winless streak when he takes the mound against the Rockies on Friday. Kuroda is 0-5 with a 5.81 career ERA against Colorado and has struggled in three previous starts at Coors Field, going 0-2 with an 8.27 ERA in 16 1/3 innings. The Dodgers had lost three straight and seven of 10 before beating the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday. Colorado is just 7-11 over its last 18 games.
TV: 8:40 p.m. ET, FSPT (Los Angeles), ROOT (Colorado)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers RH Hiroki Kuroda (8-14, 2.88 ERA) vs. Rockies RH Jason Hammel (7-11, 4.97 ERA)
Kuroda has won two of his past three decisions and didn’t allow a run in either victory. He blanked the Houston Astros on five hits over seven innings in his last start and pitched seven innings of four-hit ball against the San Diego Padres on Aug. 2. Kuroda is 2-4 with a 2.33 ERA in six starts since the All-Star break. One of the losses was against Colorado on July 27 when he allowed just one run in six innings. Seth Smith is batting .500 in 16 career at-bats against Kuroda.
Hammel defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in his last outing when he gave up one run and five hits over 6 1/3 innings. That was a strong reversal from giving up six or more runs in three of his previous four starts. Hammel is 2-3 with a 7.52 ERA in six post-All-Star break outings. He is 1-2 with a 7.98 ERA in three starts against Los Angeles this season. Overall, he is 2-3 with a 4.68 ERA in 11 career appearances against the Rockies. James Loney is batting .308 with three homers in 26 career at-bats against Hammel.
ABOUT THE ROCKIES (58-67): Colorado was off Thursday but the organization was in the news when Triple-A first baseman Mike Jacobs became the first North American professional player to draw a suspension for testing positive for using human growth hormone. Jacobs was suspended 50 games and the Rockies immediately released him. The Rockies have hit 17 homers over the last 10 games, hitting at least one in each contest to match a season-best streak accomplished twice. Carlos Gonzalez is batting .409 with four homers and 11 RBIs during a six-game hitting streak. He had four RBIs in Wednesday’s 12-5 trouncing of the Florida Marlins. He is 5-for-13 with homer against Kuroda in his career. Troy Tulowitzki is 7-for-14 over the last four games.
ABOUT THE DODGERS (56-67): Los Angeles scored just two runs in the first three games of the series against Milwaukee before posting a 5-1 victory on Thursday to salvage the finale. Clayton Kershaw tossed eight shutout innings to improve to 15-5. Catcher Rod Barajas had two hits, including a homer. Barajas had been 0-for-13 since having a three-hit game against Arizona on Aug. 6. Andre Ethier is batting just .111 over his last eight games but is hitting .364 in 22 career at-bats against Hammel. Third baseman Casey Blake missed Thursday’s game with shoulder soreness and will likely miss the series-opener against Colorado.
FINAL PITCH: Jacobs released a statement Thursday in which he admitted using HGH. He said he used HGH to help deal with recent knee and back woes. “Taking it was one of the worst decisions I could have ever made, one for which I take full responsibility,” the 30-year-old Jacobs said.