Dodgers look to keep up momentum vs. Rockies

The Colorado Rockies do beat the Los Angeles Dodgers occasionally. They just wish the wins could come more frequently against their National League West rivals.

Since Opening Day in 2016, the Rockies and Dodgers have played 60 games. The Rockies have won 24 of those meetings with a 7-16 record over the past 23 games including a 7-2 loss to the visiting Dodgers Saturday night.

"I didn't know that," Dodgers left fielder Chris Taylor said. "I think it always seems like a good series whenever we play them, a very competitive series."

The Dodgers have scored seven or more runs 15 times on the Rockies since April 2016 and have won by four runs or more, head-to-head, on 14 occasions over that span.

"It's the first week of the season, and (the Rockies) have got a lot of talent on that team," Taylor said. "Last year, they got a little taste of the playoffs and I'm sure they're just as hungry as ever to get back there."

Having dropped the first two games of their series to extend their losing streak against the Dodgers to seven games, the Rockies will have another try Sunday.

The Dodgers will start left-hander Julio Urias (0-0, 0.00 ERA) against Rockies right-hander Chad Bettis (0-1, 9.53) on Sunday.

Urias will make his second start of the season after a solid performance against the San Francisco Giants on Monday, tossing five scoreless innings while allowing three hits and striking out seven on 77 pitches. He did not factor into the decision in the Giants' 4-2 victory. In Cactus League play, he was 2-0 with a 1.72 ERA (3 ER/15.2 IP) and posted a 0.51 WHIP, striking out 15 against three walks.

He made his last start against the Rockies on May 14, 2017, at Coors Field, where he allowed six runs on seven hits in four innings, taking the loss in Colorado's 9-6 win. In three career games (two starts) against Colorado, he is 0-1 with an 8.18 ERA.

Bettis took the loss in his first start this season Monday on the road against the Tampa Bay Rays. He allowed six runs, seven hits and two strikeouts while striking out five in 5 2/3 innings.

He is 2-2 with a 4.85 ERA in 16 career appearances (11 starts) against the Dodgers. He is 2-2 with a 5.09 ERA as a starter against the Dodgers. He is 1-0 with a 3.94 ERA in five career starts against Los Angeles at Coors Field. He did not figure into the decision in any of his six outings (four starts) against the Dodgers in 2018 with the Rockies going 1/3 in his starts. He had an ERA of 4.76.

There has been some good news for the Rockies in the two losses to the Dodgers. Trevor Story, who was 0-for-3 on Saturday, hit two home runs Friday.

"My swing feels really good," Story said. "For me, it's all about the little adjustments, game-to-game and at-bat to at-bat, and I've been doing that really well here early on in the season."

David Dahl also has hit one home run in each of the first two games against the Dodgers.

And Saturday night, Josh Fuentes had a pinch-hit single in his major league debut. The 26-year-old infielder was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque Saturday when infielder Ryan McMahon was put on the disabled list with a left elbow sprain.

Fuentes was 3-for-7 (.429) with two doubles and one home run with Albuquerque, where he was the Pacific Coast League rookie of the year and MVP in 2018 when he batted .327 with 14 homers, 95 RBI and 93 runs.

--Field Level Media