Dodgers on the offensive at Coors Field

The Dodgers had never before opened their season against the Rockies, and thus never got to start at Coors Field. We are only two days into the four-day grind, but offense has been the name of the game so far.

The Dodgers have reached base at least twice in 14 of 18 innings in the series, and have been retired in order in only two frames, including once on Friday by former Dodgers draft pick and current Rockies Rule 5 pick Jordan Sheffield in his major league debut. So far the Dodgers have scored 16 runs in two games, and are hitting .403/.473/.584 as a team.

As you might imagine, some individual stats stand out, like Corey Seager hitting .625 while reaching base eight times in his 11 trips to the plate. He’s only the second Dodger since at least 1901 to reach base four times in each of the first two games of the season, along with Hall of Famer Zack Wheat in 1926.

Outfielder McKay Christensen also did so in his first two games as a Dodger in 2001, but that was after a midseason trade fro the White Sox. Those two games were at Coors Field, which lends itself to such things.

No Rockies starting pitcher has thrown a pitch in the fifth inning yet this series, combining for 162 pitches and 22 outs on Thursday and Friday. Trying to flip that pattern Saturday is Jon Gray, who lasted at least six innings in his last three home starts against the Dodgers, all of which came in 2019.

Colorado has joined in on the fun on offense, too, plating 14 runs in the first two games, and the Rockies technically have the only four home runs hit in the series.

Walker Buehler tries to stem the tide, making his first start at Coors Field since 2019. In five career starts in Denver, in 2018-19, Buehler allowed 16 runs and 44 runners to reach base in 28⅔ innings. He’s lasted at least five innings in all five starts at Coors Field.

Double vision

There are two ways to watch Saturday’s game. Joe Davis and Orel Hershiser have the call on the Dodgers broadcast on SportsNet LA, while Adam Amin and Eric Karros are on the national call for FS1. Karros in his career hit .356/.396/.708 in Denver (at both Mile High Stadium and Coors Field) in 66 games, and his 25 home runs are tied for second-most by a Rockies road opponent, trailing only Barry Bonds, who hit 30.

Game info

• Teams: Dodgers at Rockies
• Location: Coors Field
• Time: 5:10 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA, FS1