LOS ANGELES DODGERS NOTES:
TONIGHT’S STARTER at ROCKIES: RHP MICHAEL GROVE (0-2, 7.59 ERA in 8 G, 6 GS)
2023 SEASON NOTES:
- In his start on June 15 against the White Sox, he tossed 5.0 innings, allowing seven hits, four runs, four home runs and one walk….tied his season high of seven
strikeouts - Spun a career-high 5.2 innings on April 15th against the Cubs…allowed just one earned run on two hits with six strikeouts
- Made his 2023 debut against the Rockies on April 3, where he hurled four innings, giving up three runs on two hits, two walks and punching out four
- Allowed career-highs in runs (9) and hits (12) in his start against the D-Backs on April 9
- Started six games during Spring Training, posting a 0-1 record with a 5.40 ERA (10 ER/16.2 IP) and 17 strikeouts against just three walks…produced a 1.03 WHIP
- Named to his first Opening Day roster as a Major Leaguer after making his big league debut last season on May 15 against the Phillies
VS. ROCKIES:
- Will face the the Rockies for the third time in his career
- In his last start against Colorado on April 3, 2023, he tossed 4.0 innings allowing two hits, three earned runs, and two walks with four strikeouts in the no decision
COLORADO ROCKIES NOTES:
20TH & BLAKE
- The Colorado Rockies continue their season-long nine-game homestand tonight with the second of three-straight night games against the Dodgers … will host the Detroit Tigers Friday-Sunday to conclude the homestand, with fireworks following the Friday and Saturday night games.
- After going 15-13 in May the Rockies have gone 7-17 in June, including 6-16 over their last 20 games … have been outscored 149-76 (-73) over that span.
- The start of the homestand marked the end of a stretch of 33 games in 34 days for Colorado from May 19-June 21 … the Rockies went 10-23 through the stretch, including 3-13 in their stretch of 16-straight days with a game from June 6-21 … the Rockies play 22 games in the month of July.
- The Rockies’ 31-50 record marks the fourth time in franchise history with 50 losses through the team’s first 81 games, first since 2012 (31-50) … are 18-21 at home, the ninth time in franchise history with a losing home record after game 39 of the season at Coors Field
RUN DIFFERENTIAL IS FOR THE BIRDS
- The Rockies beat the Angels 4-3 on Sunday to capture a 2-1 series win following Saturday’s 25-1 loss (won 7-4 on Friday) … it’s the second time in Major League history that a team won a series despite being outscored by 20 or more runs in the series, joining the Louisville Colonels, who took two of three from the Chicago Colts June 28-30, 1897 despite being outscored 45-22.
- Colorado’s win on Sunday also improved the Rockies’ record to 5-4 following a game in which they allowed 20 or more runs … the 25 runs allowed Saturday was the second-most in franchise history, while the 28 hits allowed set a new franchise record.
AIN’T IT GRAND
- C Elias Díaz connected on his third career grand slam on Friday, his ninth home run of the season overall …it was the first grand slam for any Rockie since his own on Sept. 10, 2021 at Philadelphia, snapping a franchise-long 258-game span without a grand slam … it was the first grand slam by a Rockies player at Coors Field
since Charlie Blackmon on Sept. 2, 2021. - Díaz became the ninth Rockies player in franchise history to hit a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning or later, the first since Blackmon hit a walk-off grand slam against the Angels on Sept. 11, 2020.
A LONG TIME AGO
- The Rockies are hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field for the first time since a four-game series July 28-31, 2022 … Colorado lost two games at Los Angeles on April 3-4 in the second series of the 2023 season.
- 11 players on the Rockies’ current 26-man active roster were not active for the Rockies two games in Los Angeles earlier this season.
- The Rockies are 4-16 against NL West opponents this season, a .200 winning percentage that would be the lowest of any team against the NL West in a single season since 1969 (min. 20 games) … the Rockies’ .361 (13-23) winning percentage against their division in 1997 is the lowest in franchise history.
BIG MAC
- 3B Ryan McMahon has slashed .342/.432/.649 with seven doubles, two triples, eight home runs and 22 RBI over his last 30 games since May 25 … over that span, ranks among NL leaders in OPS (1.081, 1st), slugging (2nd), average (3rd), total bases (74, T-3rd), OBP (4th), hits (39, 4th), extra-base hits (T-6th) and RBI (T-8th).
- On the season, McMahon’s 20 doubles are tied for the seventh-most in the National League while his 35 extra-base hits are tied for the ninth-most.
- McMahon’s 2.5 WAR (Baseball Reference) is tied for the highest among NL players with at least 75% of their games at third base … his 10 defensive runs saved at third base are tied for the most at the position (Sports Info Solutions).
MR. JONES
- INF/OF Nolan Jones has been deemed as retaining rookie-eligible status for the 2023 season after it was determined that he did not exceed 45 days on the Cleveland active roster in the 2022 season.
- He has reached safely in 24 of his 27 starts since his recall on May 26 … overall, is slashing .316/.396/.551 with eight doubles, five home runs and 14 RBI … ranks 13th in the NL in batting and 12th in OBP since joining the club on May 26.
- Jones reached base in a career-long 15 games June 7-21, slashing .385/.492/.712 through this stretch … third-longest on-base streak among Rockies this season, trailing Jurickson Profar (37 games) and Charlie Blackmon (19 games).
EASY E
- Ezequiel Tovar was reinstated from the paternity list Friday … the 21-year-old has hit safely in a career-best 10 straight (.341, 14-for-42), and in 23 of 26 since May 27 (.327, 33-for-101) … was batting .187 through April 25, but has hit .292 (56-for-192) in 52 games since.
ROCKIES STARTING PITCHER – #21 KYLE FREELAND LHP
DENVER KID
- Kyle Freeland will make his 17th start of the season today, his 10th at Coors Field.
- The 30-year-old Denver native graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School, 15 minutes south of Coors Field … selected in the first round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft (eighth overall), the third player in University of Evansville history to be drafted in the first round.
- The Rockies announced on April 19, 2022 that they agreed to a five-year contract extension with Freeland covering the 2022-26 seasons … the extension includes two arbitration years and three years of free agency.
LAST TIME(S) OUT
- Has lost four consecutive decisions through his last seven starts, compiling a 6.62 ERA (34.0 IP, 25 ER) through this span with 50 hits, 12 walks and 15 strikeouts.
- In his last start, was hit for four runs (three earned) through five innings against Los Angeles-AL on June 23 … second consecutive start allowing nine hits, third time this season … received a no-decision in the 7-4 victory.
BY THE NUMBERS: THIS VS. THAT
Season K/9 BB/9 HR/9
2021 7.83 2.83 1.49
2022 6.75 2.73 0.98
2023 5.59 2.53 1.48
Career 6.83 3.05 1.19
SUPPORT SYSTEM
- Has averaged 3.27 runs of support, the second-lowest mark among qualified NL pitchers … has received runs of support in just three of seven road starts, the fourth-lowest mark in the Majors.
- 4.15 RSA since 2020 is the sixth-lowest among qualifying pitchers … 4.70 career RSA is the third-lowest in franchise history (min. 50 GS).
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS
- Gone 3-2 with a 3.42 ERA (47.1 IP, 18 ER), 13 walks and 39 strikeouts in nine home starts.
- Is 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA (26.0 IP, 6 ER) over his last five home starts.
- Career record of 31-26 (Rockies 51-36) with a 4.63 ERA (460.2 IP, 237 ER) in 87 appearances (84 starts) at Coors Field … ERA sixth all-time at Coors Field among pitchers with at least 40 starts, 31 wins tied for fourth with Jon Gray and Jason Jennings.
DONUT
- Has six games this season in which he has tossed at least five scoreless innings, tied for the second-most such games in a single season in franchise history … his next game of five-plus scoreless innings will tie him with Ubaldo Jiménez in 2010 for the most in franchise history.
- His seven quality starts this season lead the club and are tied for 15th in the NL.
ROAD WARRIOR
- Has lost each of his last six road starts, allowing 25 runs across 32.0 innings (7.03 ERA) … he is the second pitcher in franchise history to lose at least six-straight road starts, joining John Thomson, who lost 10-straight road starts from Sept. 19, 1998-Aug. 8, 2001.
- Has gone 5-11 with a 3.94 ERA (125.2 IP, 55 ER) in 22 starts on the road over the past two seasons.
