Know Your Foe #23: Dodgers Hope to Cap Gauntlet-Like Road Trip with Series Victory at Coors Field

Los Angeles Dodgers (29-34, 4th in the NL West)

2011 Record vs. Colorado: 2-3

Last Series vs. Rockies: May 30-June 1, 2011 (W 2-1 at Dodger Stadium)

After having the unfortunate task of facing, and getting swept by, Colorado in a two-game series earlier in the season (the Rockies have yet to lose one of those, and boast an overall record of 8-2 in shortened sets), the Dodgers took two of three from the Rockies in L.A. to get back on track with the guys in purple. The Bums won the first two games of the series by a combined score of 15-3 before being dispatched 3-0 by Ubaldo Jimenez in the finale.

In 307 career plate appearances against the Rockies, James Loney has 11 home runs (most against any team), 64 RBI's (by far most against any team - although about 25 of them came in one 2006 game), and an .828 OPS. So, it was no surprise that he led the Dodgers with four hits in the series - three of which came in the first game that included a homer and three RBI's. Matt Kemp and Casey Blake - two guys that haven't made too bad a of a living against the Rockies themselves - homered in the series as well. Kemp drove in five runs, while Blake also doubled and drove in three.

On the mound, the Dodgers held the Rockies to just six runs in three games - hardly an amazing feat considering the opposition, but still noteworthy nonetheless. In the first game, Chad Billingsley allowed 13 baserunners, but escaped with just one run allowed, partially due to the fact that he racked up eight K's - most of them coming in big situations. Ted Lilly matched Billingsley's strikeout total in game two, but gave up seven fewer hits (although allowing one more run). Lilly has inexplicably dominated the Rockies for a couple of seasons now. Jon Garland certainly wasn't awful in the finale, as he went six innings and allowed just three runs on five hits and a walk, but the Rockies were able to finally get a timely hit or two. It is also worth noting that the Dodgers' bullpen did not allow a run in seven innings during the series, giving up seven hits and three walks while notching five K's.

Latest Series Results: W 2-1 at Cincinnati, L 1-2 at Philadelphia

The Dodgers have survived an extremely tough road trip so far almost solely because of Matt Kemp, who has been absolutely obliterating the baseball over the past week - and really, for the entire 2011 season. He leads the National League in homers with 17, and is flirting with a 1.000 OPS.

Matt Kemp

#27 / Center Field / Los Angeles Dodgers

Height: 6-3

Weight: 215

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Sep 23, 1984

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	AVG	OBP	SLG
2011 - Matt Kemp	.323	.402	.595

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Kemp has four homers, ten RBI's, and a 1.615 OPS on the road trip, and I'm sure he's licking his chops at the very thought of hitting at Coors Field, where he has a .914 OPS in 164 career plate appearances. Andre Ethier has been no slouch this season - and on the recent trip - either, as he boasts a .940 OPS over the past week and is sitting at .872 overall. Not quite as good of a first half as last year for Ethier, but he certainly is no disappointment by any stretch. The Dodgers are also excited by top prospect Dee Gordon, who made his major league debut against the Phillies in a pinch-run appearance on Monday. After scoring a run in that game, he proceeded to collect three hits in his first start a day later.

Pitching-wise, the Dodgers have been what they always were - led at the top by Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley, with annoyingly solid performances by Ted Lilly and Hiroki Kuroda scattered all over the place. Kershaw wore down late in his last start, resulting in a six spot being put up against him in 6.2 innings by the Reds. However, he struck out nine batters and his team still won the game. Meanwhile, new addition Rubby De La Rosa was wildly effective in his first start with the club, holding the Phillies to a run on four hits in five innings, despite walking five batters, and beating Roy Oswalt in the process. The Rockies will see everybody but Kuroda in the upcoming series.

Expected pitching matchups and more after the jump...

Thursday through Sunday: 4-game series at Coors Field

Expected Pitching Matchups

Thursday, June 9, 2011 @ 6:40 PM MT

Friday, June 10, 2011 @ 6:40 PM MT

Saturday, June 11, 2011 @ 6:10 PM MT

Sunday, June 12, 2011 @ 1:10 PM MT

Expected Lineup

Bench

Closer

Injuries