• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Rockies-Dodgers Preview

Aug 19, 2010 - 7:15 AM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

Colorado (62-57) at Los Angeles (61-60), 10:10 p.m. EDT

The Los Angeles Dodgers continue to lose ground in the playoff chase, but they certainly can't blame Ted Lilly.

The left-hander goes for his fourth win in as many starts with the Dodgers on Thursday night against the Colorado Rockies, who may be without injured outfielder Carlos Gonzalez.

Los Angeles (61-60) acquired Lilly from the Cubs on July 31 before the non-waiver trade deadline, and he has surely lived up to the team's expectations with a 1.89 ERA through three outings.

Lilly (6-8, 3.44 ERA) won only three times in 18 starts with Chicago this year, but he has matched that total with the Dodgers. He limited Atlanta to three hits in six shutout innings of a 2-1 victory Saturday.

"Maybe my command has been a little bit better, maybe a tad more consistent," Lilly said. "Nothing day and night."

The Dodgers, however, can't seem to gather any momentum. Their 3-2, 10-inning loss to Colorado on Wednesday night dropped them eight games behind Philadelphia in the wild-card race and 12 back of San Diego in the NL West.

Los Angeles has been held to two or fewer runs 19 times while going 12-21 since the All-Star break. Rafael Furcal, Manny Ramirez and Russell Martin remain out with injuries.

Colorado (62-57) has had its share of problems at the plate in this series, going 1 for 18 with men in scoring position. Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki is 0 for 8 overall.

The Rockies' lineup will have a major hole if Gonzalez can't play. The budding star leads Colorado in batting average (.318), home runs (25), RBIs (79) and stolen bases (19), but he left Wednesday's game with a bruised right knee after running into the wall while making a catch.

"We had an incredible catch in right field that may have been the difference in the game," manager Jim Tracy said. "More than likely, Gonzalez will not be available for us (Thursday), but we're very hopeful of the fact that we will have him back on Friday."

The Rockies used three walks and three wild pitches by Octavio Dotel to score the go-ahead run in the 10th inning, bouncing back from Tuesday's 6-0 defeat and moving within six games of the Phillies.

They'll now try for their first series win over the Dodgers in nearly two years. Since taking the first two games of a three-game set at Dodger Stadium on Aug. 19-20, 2008, Colorado has lost 22 of 30 against Los Angeles.

The Rockies also hope to end a frustrating pattern of inconsistency this month. They've alternated wins and losses in their 15 August games.

Another win would require ending a troubling trend involving Jorge De La Rosa (4-3, 4.99). The Rockies are 0-8 against the Dodgers when the left-hander pitches, with De La Rosa going 0-5 with a 6.56 ERA in seven starts and one relief outing.

Matt Kemp is 9 for 18 with two homers against De La Rosa, while James Loney is 8 for 15 with a homer.

Lilly hasn't faced the Rockies since April 13, 2009, when he held Colorado to one hit in 6 2-3 innings of a 4-0 win while with the Cubs.

This will be Colorado's first game without Brad Hawpe, who had been with the team since 2004. The struggling outfielder was released following Wednesday's game.