and portraits of Martinez

DENVER — The Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers begin a pivotal three-game series Friday with the Rockies looking to widen their lead in the National League West.The Rockies began their current 10-game homestand with a series sweep against the San Francisco Giants and have won five straight games. That surge has carried them from 1 1/2 games behind in the division to leading it by that same 1 1/2-game margin over the Dodgers.The Rockies (77-62) Ryan Carpenter Jersey , who are in their 26th season, have never won the division and are assured of leading the NL West Friday after playing their 140th game, which is the latest in franchise history that they have been in first place. In the 144-game strike-shortened 1995 season, the Rockies were in first place after 139 games.Article continues below ...Jon Gray (11-7, 4.70 ERA) will start for the Rockies and ace left-hander Clayton Kershaw (6-5, 2.40) will take the mound for the Dodgers (76-64), who are beginning a 10-game trip that will also take them to Cincinnati (three games) and St. Louis (four).The Dodgers just dropped two of three games to the New York Mets to close out a 4-3 homestand and have scored more than three runs in just one of their past eight games.If save situations arise for the Dodgers this weekend, they can’t call on closer Kenley Jansen. He did not accompany the team to Denver after suffering an irregular heartbeat there last month. Jansen was advised by a cardiologist to avoid Denver, where the mile-high altitude increases the risk of another atrial fibrillation episode. After suffering a similar episode in 2012 and undergoing an offseason ablation operation to repair it, Jansen has said he likely will need another operation this winter and told reporters the decision to miss this series was an easy one.“At the end of the day, I have three children, and I want to see them get old and graduate and all that stuff,” Jansen said. “That’s what doctors do for a living; they take care of you. That’s what I got to do. I got to care about my health.”Kershaw gave up four hits and two runs in seven innings Saturday in a no-decision against Arizona, a game the Dodgers won 3-2. He has allowed two or fewer earned runs in eight straight starts, going 3-1 with a 1.94 ERA in that stretch and allowing three walks and 43 hits Jeimer Candelario Jersey , including five homers, in 55 2/3 innings with 49 strikeouts.Kershaw hasn’t faced the Rockies this season. He is 21-7 with a 3.22 ERA against them in career 38 starts, winning more games against the Rockies than any team other than the Giants (22 wins). At Coors Field, Kershaw is 9-4 with a 4.65 ERA in 20 starts.Gray won Saturday at San Diego, where he allowed two runs in six innings in Colorado’s 4-2 victory. In nine starts since returning from Triple-A Albuquerque, eight of which the Rockies have won, Gray is 4-0, 3.08.The Rockies have gotten sizable production recently from shortstop Trevor Story and are hoping third baseman Nolan Arenado can end his slump in this series. Story, who hit three homers Wednesday against the Giants, including a 505-foot shot that is the longest in Rockies history and the longest in the Statcast era that began in 2015, is hitting .298 with a .920 OPS and 31 homers, 95 RBIs and 25 stolen bases. He’s 12-for-24 in his past six games with five homers and 10 RBIs.Arenado is hitting .297 with 31 homers, 93 RBIs and a .929 OPS. But he has hit two homers since Aug. 5, and in his past nine games, Arenado is 4-for-35 (.114) with one double and three RBIs.“Nolan cares as much as anybody I’ve been around about this organization and winning for this organization http://www.tigersfanproshop.com/authentic-dixon-machado-jersey ,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “Right now, he’s just a little uncomfortable at the plate and that can turn quickly. But you combine that with maybe trying a little bit too hard and maybe putting too much pressure on himself because of the expectation of (being) Nolan Arenado. That sort of works against you.” ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Albert Pujols keeps climbing up the career hits list and hurting the Texas Rangers in their home park.Pujols drove in a season-high four runs, Shohei Ohtani hit a three-run homer and the Los Angeles Angels beat Texas 11-7 on a rainy Saturday night.Pujols went 3 for 4 to tie 19th-century star Cap Anson for 23rd with 3,081 hits. His 633rd homer was his 16th in 59 games in Arlington.“This is a tremendous offensive ballpark,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “Albert swings the bat pretty well wherever he goes.”Pujols hit a solo home run in the second inning and a two-run single in the third against Rangers starter Martin Perez.“I threw a bad pitch to Pujols, and he hit a home run off me,” Perez said.Pujols singled home another run in the seventh against losing pitcher Eddie Butler (2-3) for a 7-6 lead.Ohtani, a left-handed batter, then came on as a pinch hitter and homered to center field before Taylor Ward hit his first major league homer to complete the five-run inning against right-hander Butler.“Shohei coming off the bench was a huge hit,” Scioscia said.Winning pitcher Cam Bedrosian (5-2), the second of five Angels pitchers, got two outs in the sixth.Los Angeles took a 6-2 lead with two outs in the fourth on a three-run double by David Fletcher.Texas came back with four runs with two outs in the bottom of the inning to tie the game against Angels starter Andrew Heaney. Odor singled home a run and the second scored as Andrus struck out but reached base on a wild pitch. Adrian Beltre drove in two runs with a bloop single.“I was frustrated,” Heaney said. “In the fourth inning, a walk to the 9-hole hitter and let it snowball from there.”Odor Justin Verlander Jersey , Elvis Andrus and Joey Gallo each had three hits for the Rangers.With two outs and first base open, Pujols struck again in the third with his two-run single for a 3-2 lead.“The two-out RBIs, the double down the line and then the slider to Pujols in that situation where he gave up the runs,” Texas manager Jeff Banister said, “it just seemed to be a lot of pitches mid-across and tight.TRAINER’S ROOMAngels: Before the game, manager Mike Scioscia said he hadn’t seen information about RHP/DH Ohtani’s bullpen session Saturday. He’s scheduled for another bullpen. “His workout in Arizona will probably be more aggressive,” Scioscia said.Rangers: LHP Mike Minor (stiff back) was scratched from Friday’s start, but has played catch and said, “I’ll pitch in a couple days.” . RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez, who underwent Tommy John surgery in July 2017, made his first appearance since 2016 on Friday night in the rookie Class Arizona League. He retired all six batters he faced, striking out two, and is expected to continue pitching in Arizona.RAIN, RAIN GO AWAYThe game and the ceremony honoring Rangers RHP Bartolo Colon were delayed 2 hours, 26 minutes because of a downpour that began just minutes before the scheduled 7:05 CDT start. Rain fell again in the first through sixth innings. The game ended at 12:59 a.m.“It was sloppy out there Houston Astros Jersey ,” Scioscia said. “We were a little afraid at times.”EL PRESIDENTE HONORS BIG SEXYIn a pregame ceremony, Dennis “El Presidente” Martinez recognized Colon for breaking his career record for wins by a Latin American player with Colon’s 246th victory on Aug. 7.Martinez helped Vernon Wells Sr. unveil Wells’ original artwork with images of Colon in a Rangers uniform and portraits of Martinez and Juan Marichal, whose record Martinez broke in 1998. Martinez then raised Colon’s hand to recognize that he was the champion.ANDRUS TIES, SETS RECORDSElvis Andrus’s first-inning single extended his hitting streak at Globe Life Park to 37 games, every game he has played this season, to tie Rafael Palmeiro (2003) and Michael Young (2009) for the stadium record. With a streak of 44 consecutive games since last September, Andrus broke Julio Franco’s 1993 record for the longest home-game streak in franchise history.UP NEXTAngels: RHP Jaime Barria (8-7, 3.50) will try to help Los Angeles gain a split of the four-game series. He’s 2-0 against Texas this season with a 0.82 ERA in 11 innings.Rangers: RHP Yovani Gallardo (7-2, 5.33) will start with RHP Bartolo Colon (7-10, 5.19) bothered by what manager Jeff Banister called “a little stiffness.”