Preview: Rockies (34-35) at Dodgers (37-34)
Game: 1
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: June 16, 2014 10:10 PM EDT
The Colorado Rockies have gone from spiraling to surging in less than a week.
A three-game series at Chavez Ravine could keep them rolling.
Charlie Blackmon and Troy Tulowitzki look to continue pacing the Rockies' turnaround Monday night when they open this three-game set with the Los Angeles Dodgers, one of the worst home teams in baseball.
Colorado (34-35) was six games over .500 before losing 15 of 18 during which it batted .241 and scored 3.4 runs per game while the rotation posted a 6.36 ERA.
But the Rockies are putting that dreadful stretch behind them, winning a season-high five straight behind a .325 average, 7.6 runs per contest and a 3.60 ERA from the starters.
"It's amazing, last week at this time we're in the dumps," closer LaTroy Hawkins said. "Now we're on a high. It can turn around just like this."
Impressive production from Blackmon and Tulowitzki is also helping.
Blackmon is 9 for 17 with three doubles, one homer, four RBIs and five runs in four games, while Tulowitzki is 7 for 12 over his last four.
They had three hits apiece, and Tulowitzki connected for a two-run homer as Colorado came from behind for the third consecutive game Sunday in an 8-7 win at major league-leading San Francisco to complete a three-game sweep.
'It was a great three games here,' manager Walt Weiss said. 'We kept it together and came up with big-time clutch hits."
Tulowitzki, nursing a sore toe, leads the majors with a .362 average and tops the Rockies with 18 homers and 45 RBIs, one more than Blackmon. However, he's batting .133 over his last 12 games at Los Angeles.
The Dodgers, though, are 15-20 at home, ranking only better than Arizona's major league-worst 12-24 mark.
Los Angeles (37-34) failed to finish a three-game sweep of the Diamondbacks, falling 6-3 on Sunday.
Hyun-jin Ryu (7-3, 3.33 ERA) will try to help the Dodgers bounce back. He had a personal four-start streak snapped Wednesday at Cincinnati, allowing four runs and six hits over six innings in a 5-0 loss.
The left-hander is 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA in his past two home starts after going 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA in his first three.
Ryu has struggled in two of three home starts versus Colorado, compiling a 5.40 ERA. Blackmon is 5 for 7 with a double against him, while Tulowitzki is 3 for 8.
Ryu gave up six runs over five innings in a 6-1 loss to the Rockies at Dodger Stadium on April 27.
The Rockies will counter with Tyler Matzek, who is looking to build on a very impressive major league debut.
The left-hander retired the first 13 hitters and pitched two-hit ball for the first seven innings Wednesday against Atlanta before faltering in the eighth. He was charged with two runs and five hits while striking out seven in seven-plus innings of an 8-2 win.
This time, he'll take the mound in front of family and friends since Dodger Stadium is roughly an hour away from his hometown of Mission Viejo, California.
"It's great," Matzek told the team's official website. "I'm going to have plenty of people there, a lot of family and friends who are going to make it up there. It's good to have that support system there for me."
w-thumbs!^
