Colorado faces test on last road trip

For the Rockies to be playoff contenders, they need to flirt with 50 wins at home and play at or around .500 baseball on the road.

They did so in 2017 and 2018 — including a franchise-record 44 road wins a year ago — and made the playoffs both years. Heading into the Rockies’ final road trip starting Friday in Los Angeles, Colorado’s 26-49 road record is second-worst in the National League, better only than the Marlins.

“Obviously there’s not much stake in it for us, but we don’t feel that way,” shortstop Trevor Story said. “We’re going to attack this road trip, and try to be spoilers as much as we can.”

About the only thing left to play for is getting out of the National League West cellar.

The Rockies are acutely aware they can help derail the Dodgers from securing baseball’s best regular-season record and, thus, home-field advantage in the World Series.

The team has shown life of late, with back-to-back series wins as the team’s positional core (Story, Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon) pad their statistics and September call-ups get a chance to perform on a big-league stage.

This road trip to Los Angeles and San Francisco will provide a solid litmus test for those prospects, such as outfielder Sam Hilliard, catcher Dom Nunez and infielder Josh Fuentes.

The Rockies will face a gauntlet of star pitchers in Los Angeles, with future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw going game one, Cy Young Award candidate Hyun-Jin Ryu going in game two and phenom Walker Buehler starting game three.

Manager Bud Black views that as a good thing.

“It’s all part of the process, to see their at-bats,” Black said. “It gives (the young guys) another box to check, to face Kershaw, face Ryu, face Buehler, so that awe factor can wear off. These are all steps.”

The same tests apply to the hoard of unproven arms Colorado has been using.

Rookie Peter Lambert (11.12 ERA in three starts against the Dodgers) throws the opener and he’s backed by a bullpen laden with call-ups such as southpaws Sam Howard and Phillip Diehl.

Opening day starter Kyle Freeland is expected to return to the rotation on the road trip after being sidelined by a groin injury since Aug. 21.

“We’re looking for momentum,” Freeland said. “We need to keep getting different guys in there and playing well so we can take something into the offseason. That’s my game plan going into it, so whatever game I get back out there, I’ll be attacking.”

And don’t think that the team’s leaders have forgotten about how Los Angeles rallied at the end of the 2018 season to tie the Rockies in the divisional standings, and then clinch the title in a tiebreaker game at Chavez Ravine pitched by Buehler.

This year, the Rockies are an astounding 32 games behind L.A. in the divisional standings.

“We’re trying to end the season on a really good note,” Arenado said. “Any weekend series in L.A., it’s going to get the blood flowing. I get pumped up to play those games there.” Year 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 Road 26-49 44-38 41-40 33-48 32-49 21-60 29-52 29-52 35-46 31-50 41-40 31-50 39-42 Finish Last in division 2nd, wild card 3rd, wild card 3rd 5th 4th 5th 5th 4th 3rd

2nd, wild-card 3rd

2nd, wild-card, pennant