Dodgers bring streaking bullpen into opener vs. Rockies

Back to resembling the team that stormed to consecutive World Series titles, the Los Angeles Dodgers will return home Monday night for the opener of a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies.

After sputtering following a trip to Denver in April, the Dodgers took their time before reverting to form. An improved offense and effective bullpen carried Los Angeles to a just-completed 7-2 road trip, plus a stretch in which the team has won nine of its past 11 games.

"I think it just gets us back to winning series, builds a little momentum," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

Starting with a road loss against the Rockies on April 18, the Dodgers stumbled through a 9-14 stretch. That downturn appears to be over following a three-game road sweep against the Los Angeles Angels, followed by the Dodgers winning two of three games at both San Diego and Milwaukee.

"I think I'm probably most proud of the bullpen as far as what they've been doing," Roberts said. "There's a lot of different guys that are the reason why they've been so successful recently. And I think the offensive fight is better."

Los Angeles relievers are on a 38-inning scoreless streak, which is closing in on the major league record of 45 2/3 innings set by the 1962 Detroit Tigers. It is the longest such streak since the Cleveland bullpen went 38 2/3 innings in 2017.

The Dodgers will send right-hander Emmet Sheehan (3-1, 4.93 ERA) to the mound on Monday. Sheehan gave up two runs over five innings of a no-decision during the team's 4-3 loss at Colorado on April 18 and is 4-0 with a 3.72 ERA in five career starts against the team.

The Rockies split a four-game series when the Dodgers visited Denver in April, but the result failed to generate any momentum. Colorado has won just one series since and is 4-11 since May 9.

The 9-1 loss by the Rockies at Arizona on Sunday was their third defeat of a four-game series in the desert. Colorado's lone run came on a sacrifice fly from Chad Stevens in the eighth inning.

Left-hander Jose Quintana departed the game in the second inning with elbow tightness, but not before he was charged with six runs on six hits while recording four outs. The bullpen covered 6 2/3 innings, with right-hander Blas Castano picking up 3 2/3 of those frames.

The Rockies will send right-hander Tanner Gordon (0-0, 6.59 ERA) to the mound on Monday. In his most recent outing, he yielded seven runs on 12 hits in 6 1/3 innings in a no-decision against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday. Colorado lost 10-0.

He allowed six runs on seven hits in four innings of a no-decision vs. the Dodgers on April 20. He is 1-0 with a 6.30 ERA in two career appearances (one start) against them.

Sunday's game was a bust, but the Rockies' previous three losses were by one run.

"I thought we played well enough to win three out of the four games," manager Warren Schaeffer said of the series at Arizona. "Lack of execution loses one-run ballgames. They executed, and we didn't, in general.

"We just need to get over that hump and start flipping those one-run games the other way."

The Rockies haven't won a series against the Dodgers since taking two of three games in June 2022 and haven't won a series at Los Angeles since August 2021.