Rockies Pregame Rockies writers Tracy Ringolsby and Jack Etkin will be filing reports before every Rockies game this season.

The last time Brad Penny lost to the Rockies, Aaron Miles and Dustan Mohr were in the lineup. Yes, it’s been quite a while _ Aug. 25, 2005 to be exact.

Since that 5-4 loss at Dodger Stadium, Penny has made seven starts against the Rockies, all of which ended in Los Angeles victories. Moreover, Penny won six of those games, part of the reason he’s 11-2 lifetime against the Rockies with a 2.59 ERA in 17 starts. The Dodgers are 14-3 in those games.

With a 12-1 record this season, Penny is bidding to become the first Dodgers pitcher to go 13-1 to start the season since Phil Regan went 14-1 in 1966. And Regan was a relief pitcher, who made 65 appearances that season. He was nicknamed “The Vulture,” because of a tendency to squander a teammate’s lead but then pick up the victory.

Beating Penny would be an ideal way for the Rockies to open their four-game series with the injury riddled Dodgers. They just dropped two of three at Houston to start a seven-game road trip and have lost five of their past seven games. Nonetheless, the Dodgers moved into first place in the National League West after the All-Star break when play resumed July 13 and have yet to be dislodged.

Garrett Atkins has had success against Penny, going 10-for-24 with a home run. Todd Helton is 12-for-42 with four doubles and a homer. Matt Holliday is 5-for-22 with two doubles and two homers. Brad Hawpe is 5-for-23 with a homer. Kazuo Matsui is 3-for-13 with a double, and Willy Taveras is 1-for-7.

Rockies starter Rodrigo Lopez made his only two career starts against the Dodgers in April and went 0-0 with a 1.80 ERA. In the second start, on April 18 at Coors Field, Lopez was forced to leave after four innings with a strained forearm that sidelined him until May 29.

From their days in the American League, Nomar Garciaparra has plenty of history against Lopez, and it’s history that favors Garciaparra. He’s 12-for-32 against Lopez with five doubles, a triple and two homers. Rafael Furcal is 4-for-12 with a double and triple. Juan Pierre is 3-for-5. Russell Martin is 2-for-3, and Olmedo Saenz is 4-for-6 with a double and homer.

The lineups
Dodgers
SS Furcal (S)
CF Pierre (L)
C Martin (R)
LF Gonzalez (L)
3B Garciaparra (R)
1B Loney (L)
2B Betemit (S)
RF Kemp (R)
P Penny (R)

Rockies
CF Taveras (R)
2B Matsui (S)
LF Holliday (R)
1B Helton (L)
3B Atkins (R)
RF Hawpe (L)
SS Tulowitzki (SS)
C Torrealba (R)
P Lopez (R)

MAIL BAG
Joe Hart writes, what about media reports that Boston still has interest in Todd Helton?

Joe, I am sure Boston does, but as Helton originally told the Rocky Mountain News last January, when the talks with Boston ended at that time, he wasn't going to approve a later trade. Also ownership at that time announced it would not revisit any issue involving Helton during the season. It's an issue that will always linger but at this time the conversations are among members of the media and fans. Helton, who must approve any deal, told the Rocky Mountain News on Wednesday that he has not been approached by Rockies management about any possible trade. And they, in turn, have no deal brewing.