Dodgers welcome struggling Rockies to town

The Rockies are not playing good baseball as they arrive at Dodger Stadium Friday. The month of June has seen Colorado go from first place to eight games out while losing 16 of 25 games.

Always the struggle for the Rockies, their pitching has been the worst in baseball this month. Starters have a 5.91 ERA while the bullpen is 2-9 with 83 runs (71 earned) in 81 ¹⁄₃ innings.

The offense has scored nearly six runs per game and hit .276/.332/.458 in their best month this year. But it’s been hard to win games when the pitching staff has given up over seven runs per game. Since May 30, the Rockies are just 9-8 when they’ve lead at any point by two runs.

The Rockies have been a much better team on the road (24-20) then they have been at home (15-22). But even that hasn’t gone well recently, losing seven of the last 10 away from Coors Field.

The Dodgers have won five of six from Colorado this year despite the Rockies having a lead in four of those five. It was the three-games series June 1-3 at Coors that started the Dodgers on their path of homers, hitting nine in a sweep that saw them score 33 runs.

Los Angeles is just one shy of breaking their franchise record of 53 homers for any one month. A record they set just last year when their season took off much like it has this year.

Friday, 7:10 p.m. PT (SportsNet LA)

Rich Hill gets his first shot at the Rockies in 2018 as he makes his third start in June. The lefty dominated the Cubs in his first game back from the disabled list but struggled his last time out, hitting three Mets’ hitters while giving up four runs.

Tyler Anderson has pitched well in his last two road starts, allowing three runs in 14 innings while striking out 11 against just one walk. The 28-year-old has been one of the more consistent starters the Rockies have had this season.

Saturday, 4:15 p.m. PT (FOX)

German Marquez makes his third start against the Dodgers in 2018, having had mixed results in the first two. The right-hander held the Dodgers to one run in seven innings in the Rockies only victory in the six games these two teams have played this season.

Over his past five starts, the Rockies are 1-4 as Marquez has allowed at least four runs to score in each of those games.

Kenta Maeda is coming off one of the best starts he’s ever made in a Dodger uniform. The 30-year-old went seven scoreless against the Cubs Monday, striking out nine while allowing just three hits and a walk.

Sunday, 1:10 p.m. PT (SportsNet LA)

The Dodgers will turn to their most consistent starter Sunday when Ross Stripling takes the mound. The right-hander has walked a total of five batters in 10 starts since going the rotation in May and has held opponents to 13 runs (12 earned) over that time.

To say Chad Bettis hasn't lost a game since April sounds impressive. But the 10 starts since the start of May have been anything but good. After seven scoreless on May 5, Bettis has allowed 42 runs on 67 hits and 23 walks over his last nine games. Opponents have tallied at least five runs on Bettis six times over that span.