Los Angeles Dodgers

Red-hot teams clash when Rockies host Dodgers (May 11, 2017)

Published May. 11, 2017 2:54 a.m. ET

DENVER -- Two torrid teams meet when the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers open a four-game series Thursday.

Colorado has won eight of 11 series this season, including four in a row. The Rockies (22-13), who have won four of their past five and eight of their last 12 games, are off to the best start through 35 games in franchise history.

This is the latest they have been nine games above .500 since Sept. 28, 2010.

The Dodgers (20-14) have climbed into second place behind the Rockies in the National League West. Los Angeles has won a season-high five straight games and 10 of its past 12.

The Dodgers have scuffled on the road, going 7-8 and dropping two of three at Coors Field, April 7-9. The Dodgers and Rockies split a two-game series at Dodger Stadium, April 18-19.

Left-hander Tyler Anderson (2-3, 6.69 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Rockies. However, he was throwing on flat ground with a trainer watching Tuesday morning, testing the left knee that he tweaked in his last start. The Rockies might allow Anderson another day of rest.

In his last start, Saturday against Arizona, he limited the Diamondbacks to one run and six hits in six innings, walking one and tying a career-high with 10 strikeouts in the Rockies' 9-1 victory. It was his first win since April 4 at Milwaukee.

Anderson gave up at least one homer in each of his first six starts and a total of nine homers in 30 1/3 innings, but he didn't surrender a homer against the Diamondbacks.

Anderson is 2-2 with a 3.34 ERA in five career starts against the Dodgers. He has faced them twice this season, going 0-2 with a 6.30 ERA.

Dodgers left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu (left hip contusion) is scheduled to be reinstated and start Friday against the Rockies. He was injured sliding into second base in his last start, April 29 at Philadelphia.

Ryu (1-4, 4.05) is 3-4 with a 4.30 ERA in seven starts against the Rockies and 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA in two starts at Coors Field.

Slumping Rockies shortstop Trevor Story was given Wednesday off. He's hitting .180 with six home runs, six doubles and 15 RBIs. Story has drawn 17 walks but has a National League-leading 48 strikeouts. He's averaging one strikeout every 2.67 plate appearances, up from one every 3.19 in his rookie season last year.

"The hardest thing is when you struggle here for the first time," Rockies hitting coach Duane Espy said. "We're not splitting atoms. It's (about) trying to consistently move his body the same. This isn't a swing thing. I know people find that hard to understand.

"If your body moves slow one time and then it moves faster and then you stride farther and then you stride shorter, your swing's happening from a different place all the time. And he's working very hard with his setup to try and move not so much with more control and slower but whatever he feels like his best effort level is. We're trying to get that into the game as best we can."

The Dodgers played their first game Wednesday since learning that left fielder Andrew Toles was lost for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. He was injured in the seventh inning Tuesday while trying to preserve Julio Urias' no-hitter.

Toles became the Dodgers' primary leadoff hitter April 28. He was hitting .368 with a .400 on-base percentage and the Dodgers were 8-2 in that span.

"He really is a big part of what we're trying to do and adds so much to our club," manager Dave Roberts told the Orange County Register. "For this unfortunate thing to happen, it's disappointing."