Dodgers welcome Rockies to L.A. with open arms

The Los Angeles Dodgers enjoy seeing the Colorado Rockies visit town and will attempt to continue their home mastery of their National League West rivals when the clubs open up a three-game series on Friday at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers have won 16 of their past 17 home games against the Rockies, including a three-game sweep from Aug. 21-23. Los Angeles outscored Colorado 20-7 in that series.

And the Dodgers are just as hot as they were when the Rockies last came to Chavez Ravine. Los Angeles has won five straight games and 18 of its past 21 while owning the best record in the majors at 29-10.

The Dodgers also have won 10 straight home games after posting a 5-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday night.

"It's just a credit to everybody in the clubhouse," Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said in a postgame television interview. "Guys are playing team baseball. ... For me as a (manager), it's really encouraging."

In Thursday's win, left-hander Clayton Kershaw allowed one hit over six scoreless innings and moved into 38th place on the all-time strikeouts list with 2,505. Shortstop Corey Seager had three hits and outfielder A.J. Pollock hit a pinch-hit homer.

"It was very methodical," Roberts said of the win. "I thought we played really good baseball. It starts with pitching and defense and we did that. I thought the at-bats up and down the lineup were better. Just really good baseball."

The Rockies (18-19) started the season playing strong baseball but have collapsed after an 11-3 start. Colorado has lost 16 of 23 contests to fall a game below .500.

Some of the recent setbacks were ugly. Colorado allowed 10 or more runs in three of its last four defeats, including being drubbed 23-5 by the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday.

The following day, the Rockies rallied for a 9-6 win over the Giants to brighten the mood before an off-day Thursday.

"We get together as a group and it's like, 'Hey, guys, we're way too good to be not performing, to be performing the way we are,' " rookie outfielder Sam Hilliard told reporters of the team's issues. "We know what type of talent we have, what we're capable of doing, and we showed it at the end of the game."

Colorado manager Bud Black is hoping that win will snap the team out of its doldrums.

"This was a good one, coming on the heels of what happened (Tuesday)," Black told reporters. "Let's hope so. ... Only time will tell, but this was a good one. It really was."

The Rockies will send right-hander Antonio Senzatela (3-1, 3.22 ERA) to the mound on Friday. Senzatela was rocked for four homers when Colorado lost 11-3 to Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium on Aug. 23. He allowed six runs and seven hits over 5 1/3 innings.

That contest continued Senzatela's career-long problems against Los Angeles. He is 2/3 with a 7.04 ERA in eight career appearances (six starts) against the Dodgers.

Seager (4-for-9) has two homers off Sentazela, who has served up nine to the Dodgers. The 25-year-old is winless in four starts since opening the campaign with three straight victories. He pitched seven shutout innings -- allowing seven hits -- in a no-decision against the San Diego Padres last Saturday.

Right-hander Dustin May (1-1, 2.83) will take the ball for Los Angeles and attempt to end a four-start winless stretch.

May allowed two runs and five hits over six innings in a no-decision against the Texas Rangers on Aug. 28. It was the third time this season he pitched six innings, and he has allowed two runs each time.

May allowed one run and two hits in five innings in a no-decision against the Rockies on Aug. 22.

Reigning NL MVP Cody Bellinger (lat) of the Dodgers was hitless in four at-bats on Thursday. He missed the previous two games.

--Field Level Media