Dodgers bid for NL West title at home
LOS ANGELES -- In the City of Angels of all places, the Baseball Gods seemed to have aligned the stars for Vin Scully and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Scully, the Hall of Fame broadcaster, works the final home game of his legendary career Sunday when Los Angeles can clinch the National League West title when it hosts the Colorado Rockies to cap a four-game series.
A win by Los Angeles or a loss by San Francisco in San Diego on Sunday allows Los Angeles to claim its fourth consecutive National League West championship.
No NL West club has accomplished that feat.
"Any team would want to clinch anywhere but it's always sweeter to clinch at home," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "For that great man, that wonderful human to watch it in person here in his home, in his house, I think it's only fitting."
Rockies manager Walt Weiss doesn't share in Roberts' enthusiasm, but believes playing for an opportunity to prevent such a title celebration can benefit his players.
"I think it goes without saying that it's good for the young players to play down the stretch against some of these teams in (seeking) the playoffs," Weiss said. "It's good for your players to see that, the young players especially. Chalk it up to experience and persepective."
Brandon McCarthy (2-2 3.63 ERA) gets the start for the Dodgers instead of Rich Hill. Hill is being skipped for his scheduled start for precautionary reasons since he has had a recurrence of blisters on his index pitching finger. Hill probably will pitch in the Dodgers' final regular-season series in San Francisco next weekend.
McCarthy hasn't pitched since Aug. 13, when a sore right hip forced him out of a loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates and landed him on the disabled list. McCarthy lasted only 1 2/3 innings and allowed three runs on two hits with five walks against the Pirates. He hasn't earned a win since July 9 when he beat the Padres.
McCarthy is 2-3 with a 4.74 ERA in seven starts against the Rockies. He pitched five scoreless innings on two hits in a victory over Colorado on July 2.
"We've got McCarthy going (Sunday),'' Roberts said. "The energy was great (Saturday) and obviously a carry-over from the (celebration) we had for Vin (Friday night) and the expectation and anticipation for clinching a fourth division title in a row."
Rookie Tyler Anderson (5-5, 3.58) stands between the Dodgers and their bid for history. Anderson is 0-4 with a 5.10 ERA in six road starts and beat Los Angeles twice this season at Coors Field. Anderson's last win was Aug. 31, when he blanked the Dodgers for 6 1/3 innings on six hits with five strikeouts and no walks in a 7-0 win.
Anderson also defeated Los Angeles on Aug. 3, when he struck out six, walked two and allowed two runs in a 12-2 romp.
Anderson pitches at Dodger Stadium for the first time.