Eric Lauer is stepping onto the mound at Coors Field tonight for the Dodgers, and if his career numbers there are any indication, it’s gonna be a high-wire act. The dude holds a staggering 10.43 ERA in eight previous starts at that ballpark, which is just wild to think about for a starting pitcher in August.
NL West Race is Heating Up
The Dodgers are absolutely cruising right now, entering Tuesday with a commanding eight-game lead over the San Diego Padres and a full nine-game cushion on the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West. But even with that lead, things are still super tight for the wild card spots. The Padres are currently clinging to the third wild card position, just one game up on the D-backs and a single game behind the Philadelphia Phillies for that crucial second spot. This division has a serious track record, too: two NL West teams have made the postseason every single year since 2020. And get this, the last time the division sent three teams to the playoffs was back in 2017, when the D-backs beat the Colorado Rockies in the NL wild card game. So far this year, the Dodgers (24-17), Padres (22-17), and Diamondbacks (26-16) all boast solid divisional records, a stat propped up in no small part by how they’ve absolutely devoured the Colorado Rockies and the San Francisco Giants. Those two teams are the soft underbelly of the division, combining to be a ridiculous 47 games under .500! The Dodgers have an 11-7 record against those two, while both the Padres and Diamondbacks are crushing it, each at 14-5 when facing the Giants and Rockies.
Ohtani and Freeman Are Crushing It
Talk about offensive firepower that’s just built different! Shohei Ohtani, who went absolutely HAM with two homers on Monday at Coors Field, is just tearing it up. The guy is hitting a mind-boggling .312/.409/.582 with nine dingers, nine doubles, 31 runs scored, and 21 RBI in just 35 games specifically against NL West teams this season. And let’s not forget Freddie Freeman, who decided to get in on the extra-base action by ripping two doubles on Monday. That finally snapped a crazy string of 21 consecutive singles for him, and they were his first extra-base hits since way back on July 26! Freeman’s sitting pretty with 576 career doubles, putting him just two behind the legendary Wade Boggs for 24th place in MLB history. He’s rocking a .313/.373/.500 slash line with 11 doubles and five home runs in 39 games against the NL West. These guys are just mashing.
The Coors Field Challenge for Lauer
Now, about Eric Lauer’s start. This is his third time facing the Rockies this season, but his first two starts against them were back in the comfortable confines of Dodger Stadium. Overall, since joining Los Angeles, he’s actually been pretty decent against divisional foes, having faced them in three of his 11 games and posting a solid 3.24 ERA across 16 and 2/3 innings in three Dodgers wins. But Coors Field? That’s a whole different animal, a place where his career 1-6 record with that staggering 10.43 ERA over eight starts looms large. His only win there came last year when he was with the Toronto Blue Jays, a solid outing where he allowed just one run in six innings on August 4. Can he repeat that magic tonight, or will the Coors Field curse strike again?
So, get ready for some evening baseball! It’s the Dodgers battling the Rockies tonight at Coors Field in Denver, with the first pitch scheduled for 5:40 p.m. Tune in on SportsNet LA or listen on AM 570 (English) or KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish). This one could be interesting.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by True Blue LA.
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