Dodgers @ Rockies April 9, 2017: Maybe don’t get swept

This series … it has not gone very well for the Dodgers. Not only did they drop the first two games, they’ve managed to score a grand total of three runs in 18 innings at the most hitter-friendly ballpark in baseball. Now they have to deal with yet another left-handed pitcher.

	Dodgers			Rockies
	12:10 p.m.			Denver, Colo.
2B	Forsythe		CF	Blackmon
SS	Seager		LF	Parra
3B	Turner		RF	González
LF	Gutiérrez		3B	Arenado
RF	Puig		SS	Story
1B	González		1B	Reynolds
CF	Hernández		2B	Amarista
C	Barnes		C	Wolters
P	Maeda (R)		P	Anderson (L)

Tyler Anderson, who made his major league debut in June of last year, faced the Dodgers three times in 2016. He was effective every time out, pitching into the seventh in each game and never allowing more than two runs. Like yesterday’s starter, Jon Gray, Anderson was actually better at Coors last year than he was on the road. Also like Gray, the success Anderson has enjoyed may in part be due to his ability to induce ground balls — last season, he did so at a rate of 50.9%.

Anderson will see a lineup of mostly righties, with Franklin Gutiérrez once again hitting cleanup, and Joc Pederson sitting for Enrique Hernández. Austin Barnes spells Yasmani Grandal for the day.

Kenta Maeda gets the ball for the Dodgers. He made three starts in Colorado last year, and fared pretty well, allowing a total of four runs in 17 innings. Overall, Maeda allowed just a .186/.231/.291/.522 slash line to Rockies batters last season.

Between Anderson and Maeda, this has the potential to be yet another low-scoring game at Coors. Of course, now that I say that, the final score will be something like 14-12.

—–

Not much other Dodger news this morning, besides this:

Roberts said Baez might not be activated until team returns to LA. Might make another rehab appearance.

— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) April 9, 2017

Classic Pedro Báez, taking longer to do something than expected.