What once was anticipated to be the most difficult leg of the current road trip has now turned into the most critical. With 16 games remaining on their regular season schedule, the Dodgers begin a four-game series against the Cardinals on Thursday evening, which could conceivably dictate the direction of both clubs in the postseason.
As it stands now, the Dodgers trail Colorado in the NL West by 1-1/2 games, despite losing two of three to an overachieving Reds squad earlier in the week. The Rockies, who are finishing up a four-game series of their own against the Diamondbacks on Thursday afternoon, have won eight of their last 11 contests and will gear up for three games against the Giants in San Francisco beginning on Friday.