The Los Angeles Dodgers opened a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies on Monday, May 25, with Emmet Sheehan on the mound against Tanner Gordon. The matchup came after the Dodgers finished a stretch against the Milwaukee Brewers and as they kept pressure on the San Diego Padres in a heated National League West race.
Los Angeles entered at 33-20, while Colorado arrived at 20-34 and in last place in the NL West. The teams had already split a four-game series in April, giving this week’s meeting an added edge even before the first pitch.
Sheehan, who had a 4.93 ERA over nine starts this season, was looking for a steadier outing after allowing four runs over four innings in his last start against the Padres. He had handled Colorado well last month, when he gave up two runs over five innings and struck out four batters against the Rockies.
Gordon’s numbers pointed in the other direction. He carried a 6.59 ERA across 27.1 innings this year and was coming off a bulk-relief appearance last week against the Texas Rangers, when he lasted 6.1 innings but allowed seven runs on 12 hits. For a Colorado club that had lost eight consecutive series in May, the opener offered another test against one of the league’s top teams.
The series matters because both clubs already know each other well and because the Dodgers cannot afford many missteps while chasing first place in the division. For Colorado, the larger question is whether a pitcher such as Gordon can slow an opponent that has already seen him once and is still fighting for the top of the NL West.
