The Rockies won't make the playoffs because they can't win on the road. They can't score on the road. They can't beat the Dodgers. They can't win at Dodger Stadium. They can't beat Clayton Kershaw. They can't they can't they can't. We've heard it in the words of baseball analysts, the voices of doubting Rockies fans, and the denial of Giants and Padres fans.
Except they can, and they have. Because of it, they can be in first place today if they do it one more time.
As Rox Girl pointed out this morning, the Rockies are just one game back of the league average road record. They won ten straight games against first place teams overall. They have won five consecutive road games, exceeding their prior high of four (May 22-23 in Kansas City and May 31-June 1 in San Francisco).
What is even more impressive is how they have won those five games, outscoring the Padres and Dodgers 33-14 (average score of 6.6 to 2.8) in the two most pitching-favorable ballparks in the National League. They seem to be in the process of exorcising their road record, road offense and Dodger Stadium demons.
With a win today over Clayton Kershaw, Colorado would sweep back-to-back road series in California, posting a sweep in Dodger Stadium for the first time since September 25-27, 2007.
It won't be easy, as Kershaw has had Colorado's number in 2010, allowing just three runs in 26 IP (1.04 ERA). Here are four starts against the Rockies in 2010 for Kershaw, whose name anagrams to "Lanky Ace Throws."
| Date | Opposing Pitcher | Location | Rslt | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | HR | Pit | GSc |
| May 9 | Ubaldo Jimenez | Dodger Stadium | W2-0 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 117 | 84 |
| May 30 | Jhoulys Chacin | Coors Field | W4-3 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 97 | 56 |
| Aug 17 | Jhoulys Chacin | Dodger Stadium | W6-0 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 116 | 70 |
| Aug 27 | Ubaldo Jimenez | Coors Field | W6-2 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 115 | 62 |
Even more disconcerting, Colorado has not scored a run against Kershaw at Dodger Stadium since Jeff Baker hit a 2-run home run on June 4, 2008, Kershaw's third career start. He was only 20 years, 2 months and 18 days old on that day. That represents the Rockies' only run-scoring play in California against Kershaw in his career, followed by 29 scoreless innings. Let's change that.
