The Dodgers and Rockies begin their four-game National League West showdown on Thursday night at Coors Field, with both teams reliant on a collection of strong arms to fuel their starts.
Entering play on Thursday, the Dodgers and Rockies rank first and second, respectively, in the NL in ERA+ (128, 122) and pitching WAR (6.3, 5.0 — the FanGraphs version). Colorado ranks first in ground ball rate (52.8%) and LA is tops in strikeout rate (26.7%).
Rockies starters are averaging 5.72 innings per start, a number they haven’t reached in a full season since 2010.