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Dodgers-Rockies Preview

May 30, 2010 - 5:24 AM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

Los Angeles (27-21) at Colorado (25-23), 3:10 p.m. EDT

The Colorado Rockies have a chance to end a frustrating rut against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Rockies will try to capture a series from their NL West rivals for the first time in nine tries Sunday at Coors Field.

Los Angeles (27-22) has won eight straight series over Colorado (26-23) and is poised to win another after Manny Ramirez homered for the first time in Denver in Friday's series-opening 5-4 victory. The Rockies, though, responded with an 11-3 victory Saturday.

Colorado improved to 7-19 against Los Angeles since the Rockies took two of three at Dodger Stadium from Aug. 19-21, 2008. Seth Smith and Miguel Olivo each had three hits and two RBIs and Carlos Gonzalez homered and drove in two runs for the Rockies, who have won seven of nine overall.

Gonzalez has scored eight runs in the last four games, and has 25 RBI in his last 26.

Jim Tracy notched his 100th victory as Colorado manager - exactly one year after taking over for Clint Hurdle.

"He's very even keel," shortstop Troy Tulowitzki told the Rockies' official website. "When things are going bad, he knows how to say the right thing to put you in a good mood. When things are going good, he doesn't say, 'You're the best.' It's always, 'Continue to work and get better.'"

The Rockies will start a pitcher Sunday who beat Los Angeles earlier this season in Jhoulys Chacin (3-2, 3.09 ERA). The 22-year-old rookie right-hander made his fourth career start May 8 at Dodger Stadium, allowing six hits and striking out seven over 7 1-3 innings of an 8-0 Colorado victory.

The Dodgers were impressed with their first look at Chacin.

"He was throwing strikes and staying ahead of guys," second baseman Blake DeWitt said. "He had all of his pitches working and he had good off-speed stuff."

Chacin lost his next two starts before bouncing back to allow two runs over six innings Tuesday in a 3-2 win over Arizona.

He'll be up against a tough opponent in Los Angeles starter Clayton Kershaw (4-3, 2.90), who's 3-1 with a 0.64 ERA in his last four outings. Kershaw's three-game win streak ended Tuesday when he allowed one unearned run over six innings of a 3-0 road loss to the Chicago Cubs.

The left-hander beat Colorado on May 9 at Chavez Ravine by giving up two hits and striking out nine over eight innings in a 2-0 victory.

Kershaw, however, has not fared well in the thin air at Coors Field, going 2-2 with a 6.92 ERA in five starts - a sharp contrast to his 1-1 mark and 0.75 ERA against the Rockies in four outings at Dodger Stadium.

Tulowitzki is hitting .353 over his last nine games, but is 2 for 18 with seven strikeouts in his career against Kershaw.

Dodgers manager Joe Torre indicated he would rest Ramirez on Sunday. Ramirez is 2 for 21 in his last seven games.