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A big game tonight for the Colorado Rockies as they take on the Los Angeles Dodgers. A win will keep them alone in first place and bring them back to the friendly confines of of Coors field with a .500 road record. The Rockies surprised most with a strong start in April, but will need to keep on keeping on to stay in front of the competitive NL West.
Juan Nicasio will be taking the mound for the Rockies. He matches Jhoulys Chacin's 3-0 record for tops on the team in wins, but does so with the distinction of having the highest ERA in the major leagues of any starter with three wins (4.62). It would be nice for him to go at least six innings, something he has not done since his first game of the year. Tulo is scheduled to return to the lineup to help keep the run support coming for Juan.
Facing the Rockies will be Josh Beckett, who has been alternating between being bad and unlucky so far this season. He has started the season 0-3 with a 4.75 ERA, but that only tells part of the story. In his three loses, the Dodgers have only scored seven runs, including zero runs in his complete game, 1-0, loss. In his two non-decisions, though, he has been largely ineffective, giving up three runs in each and unable to go six innings. I do not care if he is unlucky or just not good, as long as his streak of losing continues.
With two starting pitchers who have been unsteady and two lineups that are getting healthy (Hanley Ramirez got a home run in his first game back last night), this game could come down to bullpens, and for this reason I like the Rockies chances. Here are the lineups, hope to talk to you all during the game:
Colorado:
1. Eric Young (S) RF
2. Dexter Fowler (S) CF
3. Carlos Gonzalez (L) LF
4. Troy Tulowitzki (R) SS
5. Michael Cuddyer (R) 1B
6. Wilin Rosario (R) C
7. Nolan Arenado (R) 3B
8. Josh Rutledge (R) 2B
9. Juan Nicasio (R) P
Los Angeles:
1. Nick Punto (S) 2B
2. Hanley Ramirez (R) SS
3. Adrian Gonzalez (L) 1B
4. Matt Kemp (R) CF
5. Andre Ethier (L) RF
6. A.J. Ellis (R) C
7. Skip Schumaker (L) LF
8. Juan Uribe (R) 3B
9. Josh Beckett (R) P
Overflow thread here.
And as always, GOOOOOO ROCKIES!!!