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Jordan Lyles takes the mound for the Rockies on Friday in the opening game of their season-ending series against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. The 23-year-old right-hander will be looking to put a shiny finish on what has been an immensely successful debut season in Denver.
Lyles owns a 4.15 ERA/103 ERA+ through 21 starts in which he's totaled 121⅓ innings. The fourth-year major leaguer won't eclipse his previous career high in innings largely due to suffering a broken hand in early June, but regardless of the outcome tonight, he'll easily finish with his best ERA. This will also be the first time Lyles will end a season as an above-average pitcher in terms of ERA+. Considering his age, it's definitely possible Lyles will only get better next year, and that goes a long way toward giving the Rockies a rotation that, if healthy, will be pretty intriguing in 2015.
Roberto Fausto Hernandez Carmona will be on the hill for the NL West champions, who enter the series hanging onto a slim chance of finishing with the best record in the senior circuit. Hernandez has a 4.74 ERA in 38 innings spanning eight starts for L.A. Against the Rockies, the 34-year-old right-hander has allowed 10 runs on 21 hits and eight walks in 13⅓ innings across three outings this season.
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KYLE PARKER STATUS: Still not freed.