Dodgers Face Rockies at Coors Field to Open Second Half

Published on by Jose G. Quevedo
Belli_Muncy
(USA TODAY Sports photo)

The Los Angels Dodgers will begin their second half of the season Friday on the road against the Colorado Rockies, the same opponent which they faced in the season opener.

 Friday will be beginning of a 16-game stretch when the Dodgers will only play divisional opponents. This stretch will encompass the remainder of July. They won’t face a non division opponent until August 3 when they host the Houston Astros. 

This divisional stretch may very well what determine the 2021 National League West  Division Champion. The Dodgers begin the second half of the season two games behind the Giants, who currently have the best record in the Majors. 

 It figures to be a three-team race, with the Padres also involved. It might be that at the end of the month all three teams bring in reinforcements through trades. The Dodgers, who at the beginning of the season had 7-8 pitchers who could be pat of the rotation, now can use a bit of help. Tt is expected they will add one or more pitchers before the deadline. 

It has been no secret that the Dodgers have dealt with a number of injuries this season, so health will be a big key factor in the second half. 

Starting the second half will be left hander Julio Urias for the Dodgers who is tied for first in the Majors for most wins with 11. Urias went 11-3 in the first half of the season with a 3.64 ERA. He will face right-hander Antonio Senzatela who’s 2-8 with a 4.58 ERA.

 The weekend matchups are set to be Walker Buehler who’s 9-1 and posted a 2.36 ERA against righty Chi Chi Gonzalez who’s 3-5 and posted a 5.51 ERA. Closing out the series will be David Price in which it can very well be a bullpen against lefty Kyle Freeland who’s 1-3 with a 5.48. 

The Dodgers should be able to win this series; maybe not a sweep, but at least take two out of three. The two sides will meet again next weekend at Dodger Stadium. Even though the Rockies record is 41-50, they still have the fifth-best home record in the league. Since the Dodgers took three out of four in the Opening Series back in April, the Rockies have only lost three series at Coors Field. 

After this series, the Dodgers will host the Giants for a four-game set next week that will be quite crucial. The two foes meet seven times in the next two weeks. 

The X-factor for the second half may very well be Corey Seager, as the shortstop has been out since May but figures to return to the lineup soon.

Mookie Betts has had a down year by Mookie Betts standards, and Cody Bellinger has struggled with injuries. Yet all that has occurred the Dodgers still have the second best record in the league at 56-36. 

As long as injuries don’t decimate the team in the second half, the Dodgers should be fine and be one of the top playoff contenders come October.

First pitch for Friday’s opener is scheduled at 5:40 p.m. Pacific.

31 thoughts on “Dodgers Face Rockies at Coors Field to Open Second Half”

  2. How do you figure, Bear? They sent down Reks a couple days ago and have added Sherfy. Still looks like 26 to me.

    Senzatela, who was supposed to start tonight, now on the Covid list, Gonzalez has been moved up a day and will start tonight.

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      3. He pitched a clean 9th inning. Urias gave up a lot of runners, and was lucky he only gave up the Slam. Bellinger, after 3 good at bats reverted to the Bellinger we have come to expect the last two, swinging at pitches he had no shot hitting.

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      4. Yep. A lot of hostility flying around.

        Cron put a charge in that one. Anyone see what San Diego did. Tatis is OPSn over 1.000 and Cronenworth hit for the cycle. I wonder if those folks still believe Seager is the best shortstop in the NL West? Maybe I’ll ask? Maybe not.

        I was hoping by now the giants would be fading. They are not. I thought Farhan would get it done up there but not this year.

        I got this feeling that Scherzer is going to end up in the West. What are we going to do about it?

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      5. What are we going to do about it? We’re gonna beat him when he shows up here in a Giants or Padres uniform. I’m guessing Padres. Preller just won’t be able to resist and if he gets him he keeps him away from us and the Giants.

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      7. I think that was said a long time before the Rocky movies. Preller does take a lot of chances, so far none of them have ended with a Championship. 3 of them are on the IL, which is where Lindor is now. Kersh not expected back until August, but they expect Seager back Monday. I do not think he is the best SS in the league, that is easily Tatis. But he at this point is probably the highest rated free agent SS.

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      8. In reply to:Sherfy was not added to the 26 man until about 5 PM tonight, They sent Reks out yesterday.
        You think so? Story is right there with him. Correa is having a great contract year. That will pay off. Baez looks good. If Seager could stay on the field he would be better than everybody except Tatis.

        The first I heard that quote was in Terence’s comedy play Phormio. Ovid also parodies the phrase in Ars Amatoria. Pliny the Elder too beat Rocky to the phrase when he went to help his friend Pomponianus at the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Democritus said it. Louis Pasteur said it. Scoop said it. I’m in good company. So are you, even if I do say so myself. And I do. I’m talking about Jefe and the other good people here of course.

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      9. Correa is the youngest of the bunch, but you know he would never be welcome in a Dodger uni. Story and Baez are the old men. Baez is ok power wise, but you expect a better BA from the guy. Seager will have about 60 games or so to make his case, If he can do in those games what he did in the short season last year, he will get a lot of attention. He has a better chance of making it to the playoffs than Baez or Story. Story is having a very non Story type season, but he will most likely be traded before the end of the month unless Colorado thinks a compensative pick is a better option. Thanks for the compliment. I also think you and Jeff are topnotch as are Dennis and Andy. Betts has mild hip irritation. He was hotter than hell coming in. 4 more hits today, all for extra bases.

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  3. At last glimpse, a little calmer, but still some vitriol laced in for good measure, I said my peace and that was that.

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    1. Yeah, you did a good job of avoiding the fray. Such anger. It’s an example of where we are as a country. People have a difficult time engaging in civil discussion. Reminds me of the 60s, only it feels worse.

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      1. When I was involved in that stuff in the 60’s I was a young guy and ready to put all my energy into the fight. I’m an old man now and just don’t have the energy or patience to put up with people who are just screaming past each other.

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      4. Means something. But, like you said, our time of influence has passed. Who’s going to listen to us? It’s our generation that f’d it up.

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      5. They also have a really hard time believing that other people are entitled to believe what they want. I value and respect everyone’s freedom to believe what they want. Too little of that in these times.

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      6. I don’t have a hard time believing other people are entitled to believe what they want, I have a hard time understanding why people believe what they do.

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  4. Not only has Mark chased a lot of people away over there but it looks like we’ve managed to eliminate everyone else over here.

    As Shakespeare wrote in Antony in Cleopatra, and something I feel definitely applies in these difficult days:
    “I love long life better than figs”.
    I think that really sums it all up.

    Dennis, Andy, Gordon, TMax, anyone?
    I’m sure one of you at least has an opinion on figs, if not on Bellinger’s inability to hit a high fastball or Lux’s inability to hit southpaws.

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    1. That’s some deep Jefe wisdom right there brother. I like figs. But I could live without them.

      Another favorite Shakespeare line that you could use – “more of your conversation would infect my brain”. Who said it? Cariolanus. That’s right. I said Cariolanus.

      I guess we just have to just wait for the blind squirrel Bellinger to find his nuts. Wait, that didn’t sound right….

      And Mookie leaves with an injury after 4 hits. Gulp.

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  6. God Bear I drive 8 miles out of the mountains just to get cell reception to find out what’s happening. But I think I’ll watch these game’s for sure.
    And Jeff is Shakespeare their latest waver claim? Another one and done?

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