Colorado Rockies: 3 Keys to the LA Dodgers series

The Colorado Rockies are in a tight NL West race with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Rockies lead the division by a half-game over the Dodgers.

As of right now, Fangraphs gives the Colorado Rockies a 58.3 percent chance of making the playoffs. However, the Dodgers have a 85.8 percent chance of making the playoffs, despite being second in the NL West standings.

Last week, when the Dodgers and Rockies met at Coors for a three-game series, the Dodgers took two of three. The most important key is to win the series. The Rockies need to get revenge and at least take back those two losses.

The Rockies are 7-9 against the Dodgers and 37-31 against NL West opponents this season. If the Rockies are going to win the NL West and their first division title in franchise history, they will need to win head-to-head match ups with divisional opponents, especially the Dodgers.

The Rockies will have a chance to do just that as they travel to Los Angeles for another three-game series. Here are the keys to the series:

1. Average at least 4 runs a game

The Rockies have played six games at Dodger Stadium this year. The most they have scored in any of those games was four. That was on July 1 when they lost 6-4.

The offense has been clicking this month. They have had the best offensive month of the year in September. As a team, they are batting .283/.339/.498 with 76 RBI and 22 home runs.

A key to this series is for the Rockies to average four runs a game over this three-game set. They are capable and if they do, they will have a good chance of not only winning the series but sweeping the series.

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2. Beat Clayton Kershaw

Surprisingly, the Rockies have only faced Kershaw once this season. That came last week at Coors Field where he went six innings with six hits, seven strikeouts and two earned runs for the win.

Usually when Kershaw is on the bump, it is almost an automatic win. In his career against the Rockies, he is 22-7 which is tied for the most career wins against any other team. In those 39 games started, he has a 3.21 ERA and 267 strikeouts.

The game Kershaw is projected to start should be one of the best games of the year as his counterpart will be Kyle Freeland.

It is the biggest game of the series and one that has to finish with a mark in the win column.

3. Tyler Anderson needs to pitch like it’s July

Tyler Anderson closes the three game series with a matchup against Walker Buehler.

Anderson was arguably the best pitcher in the rotation in July. He started five games and went 1-0 with a 2.16 ERA and 32 strikeouts while only allowing eight runs.

Since July, he has gone 0-6 in eight starts with an 8.27 ERA and only 38 strikeouts.

Anderson is extremely important if the Rockies want to make the playoffs and go deep into the postseason. Without Anderson, the Rockies have three plus pitchers in Jon Gray, Kyle Freeland and German Marquez.

Anderson might have found his touch in his last outing against San Francisco on Friday. Although he took the loss, he went six innings, giving up two earned runs on seven hits with six strikeouts.

If the Rockies focus on these three keys, they will have a very good chance of winning the series and staying ahead of the Dodgers in the NL West race.