Streaks on the line for Dodgers, Rockies

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers look to stockpile more wins against the struggling Rockies with a four-game weekend series at Dodger Stadium. A few streaks are on the line heading into Thursday night's series opener.

The Dodgers have beaten the Rockies eight straight games, including all five times this season, and are 16-3 against them in their last 19 games. The Dodgers have also won nine straight home games against Colorado, with three-game sweeps in each of the Rockies' last three trips to Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers have never swept the Rockies in a four-game series, neither in Los Angeles nor Denver.

Colorado comes to town on an 11-game losing streak, and have been playing so poorly that they even lost their manager. Walt Weiss wasn't fired, but was hospitalized on Wednesday with an emergency appendectomy. He is expected to be released from the hospital on Thursday, per Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post, but it is uncertain when he will return to manage the Rockies. In Weiss' absence, bench coach Tom Runnells will be the visiting skipper at Dodger Stadium.

The last time the Rockies were in town, Zack Greinke said of Colorado, "That's probably the toughest lineup in the National League."

Through that night, April 18, the Rockies were 7-4 and averaged 4.64 runs per game. Since then, the club is 4-15, averaging 3.42 runs per game.

But the problem isn't only on offense, as the Rockies have been outscored 83-34 during their 11-game losing streak, including allowing eight or more runs six times.

Colorado starting pitchers have a 5.48 ERA, averaging just 5.03 innings per start, ranking 29th and 30th, respectively in MLB in those categories. The Rockies are also last with just six quality starts in 30 games, five fewer than the next-worst team (Toronto).

Chad Bettis tries to turn things around for Colorado in Thursday's opener. The right-hander will be recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque to make the start on Thursday night, his first major league appearance in 2015.

In his brief MLB career, Bettis has a 5.02 ERA in eight career starts and a 9.09 ERA in 29 relief appearances. The Dodgers tagged him for five runs and had 14 runners reach base in 4⅔ innings against Bettis on Sept. 2, 2013 at Coors Field, but in three relief appearances against them in the previous two seasons Bettis pitched four scoreless innings, with three strikeouts and a walk.

Brett Anderson gets the call for the Dodgers, looking for his second win over the Rockies in seven days. He brings a 63.1-percent ground ball rate that ranks second among the 125 major league pitchers with at least 30 innings this season, and in May it has been even better.

In his two May starts, Anderson has a 75.8-percent ground ball rate with one walk in 11 innings, which has translated into just one unearned run allowed this month.

The Dodgers have not lost consecutive home games since Aug. 24 (Mets) and Sept. 1 (Nationals) last year. The Dodgers are 26-6 at Dodger Stadium since those two defeats.

Game info

Time: 7:10 p.m. PT

TV: SportsNet LA