Rockies at Dodgers
With their seventh straight National League West title a foregone conclusion, the Los Angeles Dodgers can set their sights on resting players and working out a few kinks. One of those wrinkles is NL Cy Young favorite Hyun-Jin Ryu, who tries to halt his worst stretch of the season when the Dodgers seek a three-game sweep of the struggling Colorado Rockies on Wednesday.
“I think the hitters’ approach in general has caught up to how I used to pitch so I think there is a need for a change from my end to get ahead in the game again,” Ryu, who has yielded 18 runs in his last three starts (all losses), told reporters: “I think that’s one change that has to come.” Los Angeles (91-50) is in a three-pronged battle with the New York Yankees (91-49) and Houston Astros (90-50) for the best record in baseball but is only 6-6 in its last 12 games after Tuesday's 5-3 victory made it 10 straight over Colorado at Dodger Stadium. Los Angeles belted three home home runs after swatting seven Monday and has an NL-most 248 this season - one shy of the NL record set by Houston in 2000. Antonio Senzatela also carries a three-game losing streak when he takes the ball Wednesday for Colorado, which has matched a season high with eight straight losses and has dropped 12 of 13.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Colorado), SportsNet LA
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Antonio Senzatela (8-9, 6.95 ERA) vs. Dodgers LH Hyun-Jin Ryu (12-5, 2.35)
Senzatela allowed six runs and 10 hits in five innings of a 10-4 loss to Pittsburgh on Friday. The 24-year-old Venezuelan is 1-4 with an eye-popping 16.82 ERA over his last five starts - a stretch interrupted by a demotion to Triple-A Albuquerque. Los Angeles' A.J. Pollock is 4-for-9 with a home run versus Senzatela, who is 2-0 with a 4.42 ERA in five games (three starts) against the Dodgers - 1-0, 3.18 in two turns this season.
Ryu allowed seven runs and 10 hits in 4 1/3 innings of an 11-5 loss at Arizona on Thursday - his second straight contest yielding that many runs. The 32-year-old South Korean has seen his ERA balloon by 0.90 during a three-game slide that also includes losses to the New York Yankees and at Atlanta. Colorado's Nolan Arenado is 14-for-26 with four home runs, 10 RBIs and four doubles against Ryu, who is 4-7 with a 4.86 ERA in 13 starts against the Rockies - 3-3, 3.38 in seven home turns.
WALK-OFFS
1. Los Angeles OF Joc Pederson (abdomen) did not play Tuesday but was available off the bench after he was injured making a catch Monday.
2. Arenado has homered in three straight games to start the month and has 37 this season - five shy of the career-high 42 he hit in 2015.
3. The Dodgers are 54-18 at home and are on pace to eclipse the 2017 club's 57-24 mark as the best in Los Angeles franchise history.