Thinking offense as Dodgers head to Coors Field

As the Dodgers open a series against the Rockies on Friday night in Denver, it is only natural that thoughts turn to offense. After all, the weekend series will be at the hitters paradise of Coors Field.

The park factor at Coors Field in 2015 is 118, with 100 the league average. It is right in line with the Coors park factors of the last five years, which ranged from 116-119, and among the top 10 park factors in the 23-year history of the franchise.

So sure, take the numbers in Denver with a grain of salt, but at the very least it might be good for the Dodgers' muscle memory to practice occupying and circling the bases fairly often for the next three games.

The Dodgers are averaging 4.23 runs per game in September, which is slightly higher than their season average, but also more than the 3.96 runs per game the team averaged from May through August. A late rally on Wednesday, and a six-run rally on Thursday put the Dodgers offense in a good frame of mind heading into the weekend, where many runs could and should be scored.

Since the start of 2013 the Dodgers have scored six or more runs in 16 of their 25 games at Coors Field, and are 13-3 in those games. They are 2-7 when scoring five or fewer runs in Denver during that span.

The Dodgers have scored 40 runs in six games at Coors Field this season, winning four. They have hit .307/.402/.548 with 11 home runs and 31 walks in those games.

The Rockies have lost five straight games, all at home, heading into the weekend, allowing 43 runs during that span. These are the final home games of the season for Colorado, who has allowed 468 runs at home in 2015, exactly six runs per game, the club's second-most allowed at home in the last 11 years.

The 2012 Rockies allowed 523 runs at home, and finished 35-46 at Coors Field, the worst home record in franchise history. This year Colorado is 33-45 at home, meaning if the Dodgers capture this weekend series they would send Colorado to its worst home record ever.

The last time the Dodgers were in Denver, the four-game series ended with two of the wildest games of the season. Alex Guerrero hit a two-out grand slam in the ninth inning of the second game of a June 2 doubleheader, to erase a three-run deficit. Then, the next night saw the Dodgers without Kenley Jansen blow a 6-4 ninth-inning lead for a Rockies comeback.

Joc Pederson hit a home run in each of those four games in Denver in June, but has hit .181/.320/.305 with eight home runs in 91 games since.

Adrian Gonzalez is 11-for-23 (.478) with six doubles, a home run and nine RBI in six games at Coors Field. That home run was hit against David Hale, who starts the series opener for Colorado.

Game info

Time: 5:10 p.m. PT

TV: SportsNet LA