Game Preview: Jorge De La Rosa vs. Hyun-jin Ryu

Rubber match in Lala Land.

On Sunday, Jorge De La Rosa hopes to rediscover his form from last season in a place that has been kind to him, and pitchers in general, for years.

The lineup for the Rockies is what we have come to expect with Michael Cuddyer still sidelined. Brandon Barnes takes his place in right field and is batting second, where he has been decent of late, coming into the game with .326 batting average.

Winning a series against the Dodgers in Los Angeles could be huge mentally for this team. The Rockies have often played with an inferiority complex against the Dodgers over the years and if they have any chance of contending this season they need to prove they can play on the same field as teams who spend billions of dollars, especially on the road.

It's still far too early in the season to be making any grand proclamations about anything, really, but in terms of a team believing in itself and proving that they can hang with the big boys, today is about as important an April game as you can have.

Quite frankly, having already grabbed a game on the road means the Rockies can depart the series feeling good about themselves. Continuing to win all the home series and not get swept on the road is a great pattern for success, but winning today could send a message: the Rockies aren't messing around.