Dodgers Announce Starting Pitchers for Series With NL West Rival Rockies

The Los Angeles Dodgers are opening a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies this week following a matchup with the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Dodgers (33-20) will look to do better than they did in their last series with the Rockies, when the two teams split a four-game set in April.

The Dodgers are in a heated battle for the National League West with the San Diego Padres, so matchups against teams like Colorado are crucial to take advantage of.

The Rockies are coming off a series loss against the Arizona Diamondbacks, and currently sit in last place in the NL West at 20-34. Colorado started the year off strong, but has come back down to earth in May, having lost eight consecutive series.

Dodgers vs Rockies Probable Starters

Monday, May 25: RHP Emmet Sheehan vs RHP Tanner Gordon

The Dodgers are turning to right-hander Emmet Sheehan for the opening game of the series, and he will try to bounce back from his last outing against the Padres in which he allowed four runs over four innings of work.

Overall, Sheehan has put up an ERA of 4.93 over nine starts this season. He faced the Rockies last month, allowing two runs over five innings with four strikeouts.

Opposite Sheehan will be Rockies right-hander Tanner Gordon, who has a 6.59 ERA across 27.1 innings this year.

He pitched 6.1 innings in bulk relief last week against the Texas Rangers, allowing seven runs on 12 hits.

He faced the Dodgers last month, allowing six runs on seven hits over four innings of work.

Tuesday, May 26: LHP Eric Lauer vs LHP Kyle Freeland

Left-hander Eric Lauer is making his Dodgers debut on Tuesday night

The Dodgers acquired Lauer from the Toronto Blue Jays after being designated for assignment earlier this month.

With Toronto, Lauer struggled, posting an ERA of 6.69 over eight appearances. Lauer will be looking to turn things around and get back to being the excellent pitcher he was a year ago, when he helped the Blue Jays reach the World Series.

As for the Rockies, they will turn to lefty Kyle Freeland in the second game of the series. Freeland has struggled this year, posting an ERA of 7.71 over eight starts for Colorado.

Wednesday, May 27: RHP Shohei Ohtani vs TBD

The Dodgers will give the ball to Shohei Ohtani in the finale against the Rockies, as he will again be pitching right before a day off.

Ohtani has been lights out for Los Angeles this season on the mound, posting an ERA of 0.73 over eight starts.

His performance has placed him directly into the conversation for the National League Cy Young award this season. The right-hander will look to keep his dominance going against the last-place team in the NL West.

Right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano is expected to get the start against Ohtani in this matchup, and he's been one of the better pitchers for the Rockies this year. The veteran right-hander has put up an ERA of 3.86 over 10 starts.

However, he struggled against the Dodgers last month, allowing five runs on nine hits over four innings.

Key Injuries

The Dodgers are getting utility man Kiké Hernández back from the 60-day injured list, giving the roster more depth and a potential Max Muncy replacement after he was hit in the hand by a pitch on Friday.

Muncy has already been ruled out for Monday's game, but it remains to be seen if he returns this series or goes on the IL.

The Dodgers are also still without starters Tyler Glasnow (back), Blake Snell (elbow) and Edwin Díaz (elbow) on the pitching staff. The team also saw Brusdar Graterol suffer a setback, while Jack Dreyer remains on the injured list.

How to Watch Dodgers vs Rockies May 25-27

First pitch for Monday's game is 6:10 p.m. PT/9:10 p.m. ET, with the game broadcasting on SportsNet LA and in the MLB app.

First pitch for Tuesday's game is 7:10 p.m. PT/10:10 p.m. ET, with the game broadcasting on SportsNet LA and in the MLB app.

First pitch for Wednesday's series finale is 7:10 p.m. PT/10:10 p.m. ET, with the game broadcasting on SportsNet LA and in the MLB app.

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