Dodgers relying on starting pitchers against Rockies

Intent on expanding their one-game lead in the National League West, the Los Angeles Dodgers are confident their starting staff and a cluster of returning players can help lead the charge down the stretch.

The Dodgers could get late-inning left-hander Alex Vesia (oblique) back from a short stint on the injured list Tuesday, while catcher Will Smith (hand) is expected to make his first start in almost a week. Third baseman Max Muncy (oblique) returned from the IL on Monday, while utility man Tommy Edman (ankle) is set to come back by the end of the current three-game series.

It is just the kind of jolt the Dodgers needed after a 1-5 road trip to Pittsburgh and Baltimore last week. The current series got off to a promising start with a 3-1 home victory over the Rockies on Monday when Tyler Glasnow opened with seven no-hit innings.

After Blake Treinen pitched the eighth, the no-hit bid ended in the ninth when Tanner Scott gave up a leadoff double to Ryan Ritter.

It was the second brush with a no-hitter for the Dodgers in three days. On Saturday, Yoshinobu Yamamoto no-hit the Orioles for 8 2/3 innings before Jackson Holliday homered. Yamamoto left the game with a 3-1 lead, which the bullpen squandered for a stunning 4-3 loss.

"It's easy to see that if you look at our ball club, we're built around our starters," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "I mean, that's pretty easy to see. So we're going to lean on them. And I do think that those guys just continue to persevere, log zeros, give our offense an opportunity to break a game open, stay in the game."

Next up for the Dodgers is right-hander Emmet Sheehan (5-3, 3.59 ERA), who gave up two runs in a start at Pittsburgh on Wednesday but was left with a loss after the Dodgers were shut out, 3-0.

Sheehan has three career starts against the Rockies, going 3-0 with a 4.76 ERA.

The Rockies now have 104 losses, the most in club history, but need to win just two more times -- they have 40 -- to avoid the Chicago White Sox's modern-day record 121-loss season from last year.

Interim manager Warren Schaeffer is trying to instill a base for his young roster to move forward in future seasons.

"The emphasis needs to be on the baserunning, playing hard at all times, playing without fear and improving in every area," Schaeffer said, according to MLB.com. "Personally, these young guys are battling at the plate until the end. These are things we've been talking about, they have progressed and the numbers have gotten better as we've gone on."

The Rockies are set to counter with right-hander German Marquez (3-12, 6.19) on Tuesday. In two starts since returning from right biceps tendinitis, Marquez has struggled with an 11.57 ERA in 9 1/3 innings.

After allowing eight runs over 4 1/3 innings of his return against the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 29, he allowed four runs over five innings on Wednesday against the San Francisco Giants in a 10-8 loss. He got a no-decision in that game but was charged with the 11-7 loss to the Cubs.

In 19 career starts, Marquez is 3-7 with a 4.19 ERA against the Dodgers and is 3-4 with a 3.97 ERA in 10 starts at Los Angeles.

Three Rockies players departed Monday's loss, with starting pitcher Chase Dollander (knee), first baseman Warming Bernabel (head) and Ryan Ritter (shoulder) all leaving early. Ritter departed after collecting the only Colorado hit on a double.

--Field Level Media