Hot Rockies host Dodgers, Giants with NL West title up for grabs

OK, truthful it’s not the playoffs, and determination volition beryllium nary Rocktober 2021. But the Rockies volition play meaningful games this week astatine Coors Field.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants travel to municipality with the National League West rubric up for grabs. The Giants (97-53) pb the Dodgers (96-54) by 1 crippled with 12 games remaining.

The Rockies, who are 45-27 astatine Coors Field, person a accidental to messiness things up.

Rocktember, anyone?

Veteran outfielder Charlie Blackmon isn’t buying it.

“It’s specified a large woody to marque it to the playoffs,” Blackmon said. “And thing compares to the playoffs but for the playoffs.”

Maybe so, but playing the spoiler relation is arsenic adjacent arsenic the Rockies are going to get.

The Rockies big the Dodgers successful a three-game bid opening Tuesday night, followed by a three-game play acceptable against the Giants. All 3 teams person been playing well. The Rockies are caller disconnected a 7-2 roadworthy trip, their champion since 2017. The Giants are 7-3 implicit their past 10 games, portion the Dodgers are 8-2.

Manager Bud Black is excited to spot however the Rockies execute nether the spotlight.

“That’s what I emotion astir baseball,” Black said. “Other teams are watching. Other teams attraction greatly astir what’s going connected extracurricular of their ain ballpark, due to the fact that it impacts them.”

Right-hander Jon Gray, who’s scheduled to transportation against the Giants connected Friday night, besides wants to spot however the Rockies measurement up.

“When we play the Dodgers and the Giants, we get the champion retired of ourselves, truthful I’m excited to spot however we bash this week,” Gray said.

Gray’s enthusiasm is admirable, adjacent if helium didn’t rather get the facts right.

The Dodgers ain an 11-5 grounds vs. Colorado this season, including a 5-2 grounds astatine Coors. Since Black became manager successful 2017, the Rockies are 14-26 vs. L.A. successful LoDo.

The Giants are 12-4 against the Rockies this season, including a 4-2 grounds astatine Coors. During Black’s tenure, however, the Rockies are 26-14 vs. the Giants astatine Coors.

The Dodgers-Rockies bid features 3 intriguing pitching matchups. On Tuesday, the Dodgers are scheduled to commencement lefty Julio Urias (18-3, 2.99 ERA), portion the Rockies volition spell with right-hander Antonio Senzatela (4-9, 4.06). The earthy numbers spell mismatch, but Senzatela is connected the champion streak of his career. The right-hander has pitched astatine slightest six innings successful 12 of his past 14 starts, posting a 3.57 ERA.

Wednesday’s crippled features right-hander Walker Buehler (14-4, 2.39), L.A.’s Cy Young Award campaigner vs. Rockies right-hander German Marquez (12-10, 4.16), who’s a first-time all-star.

Thursday’s day crippled matches Max Scherzer (14-4, 2.17), the Dodgers’ different Cy Young candidate, against lefty Kyle Freeland (6-8, 4.50). Freeland tossed six shutout innings connected Saturday astatine Washington.

The Rockies, of course, would emotion to play spoiler, but the ever-steady Blackmon said he’ll attack this week’s games the mode helium approaches each game.

“I beauteous overmuch effort my hardest to bash my champion each game, nary substance what the hostile is,” Blackmon said. “I’m not turning it up a notch. My notches are already up.”