Series Preview: Dodgers take on the altitude in weekend series against Rockies

DENVER — Fresh off a three-game sweep of the Mets, the Dodgers head into the weekend looking like the juggernaut the baseball world expected.

What started as an uneven opening stretch has turned into a run where the offense is building innings consistently and the pitching is controlling games from the first pitch. At 14-4, the Dodgers now turn their attention to a Rockies team trying to recover from a difficult road trip, with a chance to carry their current rhythm into another series.

Dodgers (14-4, 1st in NL West)

The Dodgers enter this series playing their most complete stretch of the season. Over three games against the Mets, the rotation combined for 21.2 innings with just two earned runs and 29 strikeouts — not dominant in the overwhelming sense, but controlled in a way that never let the series drift.

Offensively, Andy Pages continues to be the thread running through most of them. His three-run homer Monday broke open what had been a tight game, and through the first few weeks, his production has moved past “hot start” into something the lineup leans on. He’s already up to five home runs and 20 RBIs, and more importantly, his at-bats have consistently extended innings rather than ending them.

Dalton Rushing has taken a similar step, just in a different role. His grand slam Wednesday didn’t just add insurance — it turned a close game into something finished. Over his last three games, he’s gone 7-for-12 with three home runs, forcing his way into more consistent at-bats even with Shohei Ohtani set to return to the lineup after a rare pitcher-only appearance in this game.

There are still smaller details filling in around them. Miguel Rojas’ three-hit game Monday. Kyle Tucker’s go-ahead RBI Tuesday, a needed moment for a hitter still finding his timing. Freddie Freeman continuing to stack quality at-bats without needing to dominate the box score.

All of it adds up to a lineup that doesn’t feel rushed right now.

They’re still doing this without Mookie Betts, and the absence is noticeable in structure, but not in output. Instead of replacing him, the Dodgers have spread that responsibility across the lineup, and it’s held.

On the mound this weekend, attention turns back to a struggling Roki Sasaki. Manager Dave Roberts stated Blake Snell’s eminent return to the rotation wouldn’t mean a return to the bullpen for Sasaki. Sunday’s start could prove the difference between keeping a spot in the rotation or a return to Triple-A.

Rockies (7-12, 4th in NL West)

Colorado arrives in Los Angeles trying to reset after a road trip that never quite stabilized. They dropped six straight before salvaging the finale in Houston, a 3-2 win that felt more like relief than momentum.

The issue hasn’t been one side of the game — it’s been how disconnected everything has looked.

At times, the offense has shown it can push games. Hunter Goodman’s two-homer performance earlier in the week was one of the few stretches where the lineup felt in sync, and he’s quietly been one of their more consistent bats early on. Tyler Freeman has also provided some stability at the top, including a three-hit game in the series finale against Houston.

But those moments haven’t carried. The Rockies have struck out 15 times in a game during this stretch, gone hitless in key spots, and repeatedly left innings unfinished. Even in games where they’ve put together 10-plus hits, the sequencing hasn’t followed.

Pitching has had similar swings.

Michael Lorenzen, slated to start Sunday, is coming off an outing where things unraveled quickly — seven runs allowed in less than three innings, even if only two were earned. The inability to stop innings from compounding has shown up across the staff during this skid.

There have been positives underneath that, though. Chase Dollander’s 5.1 scoreless innings in relief, with nine strikeouts and triple-digit velocity, gave them a stretch of control they haven’t had consistently. Antonio Senzatela has also quietly stabilized games out of the bullpen, going multiple innings without allowing a run over his last appearances.

Tomoyuki Sugano, who gets the ball in the opener, has been one of the steadier pieces so far, carrying a 2.16 ERA into the start. His ability to limit damage early will matter, especially against a Dodgers lineup that has shown it can turn small openings into big innings quickly.

Pitching Probables

Friday, April 17: Tyler Glasnow (1-0, 4.00 ERA) vs. Tomoyuki Sugano (1-0, 2.16 ERA)

Saturday, April 18: Emmet Sheehan (2-0, 6.60 ERA) vs. Ryan Feltner (1-1, 7.30 ERA)

Sunday, April 19: Roki Sasaki (0-2, 6.23 ERA) vs. Michael Lorenzen (1-2, 8.10 ERA)

Injury Report

Dodgers

Day-to-day: None

10-day IL: Mookie Betts, Tommy Edman

15-day IL: Ben Casparius, Brusdar Graterol, Landon Knack, Brock Stewart, Blake Snell

60-day IL: Jake Cousins, Kiké Hernández, Bobby Miller, Evan Phillips, Gavin Stone

Rockies

Day-to-day: None