The Los Angeles Dodgers (46-45) are above .500 these days, while the Colorado Rockies (44-49) have sunk to five games below that mark as the two teams get ready to collide in Dodgers Stadium tonight at 10:10 p.m. Rockies fans can hear the action on KOA 850, while Dodgers fans can tune in to 570 Fox Sports LA. The game can be live streamed here.
It wasn't long ago that these two teams' places were flipped, but the Dodgers have picked things up this month while Colorado has been bitten by an injury to shortstop Troy Tulowitzki yet agan.
While rookie Yasiel Puig has grabbed all the headlines during Los Angeles' resurgence, shortstop Hanley Ramirez has quietly been MLB's best hitter over the last few weeks. In 36 games this season Ramirez is batting an off-the-charts .402 with eight home runs, 24 RBI and four stolen bases.
They may need Ramirez to have another big game, because Puig had to exit last night's affair with a sore hip. Puig has become one of the best players in the league and his propensity for reckless play might cause the organization to be cautious with the most hyped player in the big leagues right now.
On the mound for the Dodgers will be ace lefty Clayton Kershaw (8-5, 1.89 ERA) who has been incredibly effective in 2013. He has struck out 129 batters already, and matched his career high in shutouts (2) before the All-Star break.
Meanwhile, the Rockies enter this matchup with arguably MLB's top hurler on a rough streak of eight losses in their last 11 games. They will turn to Juan Nicasio (4-4, 5.31 ERA) who doesn't portend to do well against such a hot lineup.
Manager Walt Weiss talked about the key to success tonight for Nicasio:
"It's throwing strikes, being in good counts, being more efficient. It's got to be a put-away pitch, so he doesn't have to deal with extended at-bats. We all know he's got the big arm, but it's a matter of being more efficient and getting strike one."
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