Colorado Rockies vs. Los Angeles Dodgers: 3 things to watch this week

There is no question that the matchup between the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field this week carries big implications. With the two teams battling for supremacy in the National League West, every head-to-head matchup is important.

The focus of the division shifts to downtown Denver for four games, starting tonight when Colorado’s Tyler Anderson takes the hill against L.A.’s Ross Stripling. The Los Angeles pitching rotation is getting healthy again, with Stripling coming off the disabled list, while the Colorado Rockies rotation, prior to Tuesday night’s blowout loss to Pittsburgh, had posted a team ERA of 2.25 at home during a 13-2 run at Coors Field that began on July 2, including a 1.58 ERA by the starting pitchers.

Yes, starting pitching will certainly take some of the spotlight in this critical series, but there are plenty of other storylines bubbling under the surface that will make an impact. In this article, we will look at three things that could dramatically shift the series in the favor of the Rockies or tip the scales for the Dodgers.

Let’s dive in and get a feel for the series ahead…

Note: All statistics are prior to Wednesday’s play.