PHOENIX -- Coming off Sunday's exhilarating ninth-inning comeback against the D-backs, the Dodgers will once again try to recapture sole possession of first place in the National League West Monday in Colorado.

Los Angeles has tied Arizona atop the division four times in the past two weeks, but the three previous times the D-backs took back sole possession of first the next day. The Dodgers have been tied for first place six times this year, but only on April 4 were they alone in the top spot.

"We've got to win games, and if we win games the standings will take care of themselves," outfielder Matt Kemp said.

If they don't win games, they can see a hot Colorado club closing in on them that's in no way out of an NL West race the team trails by just six games. After all, the Rockies went from fourth in the division to the World Series last season by winning 21 of 22 games down the stretch and in the playoffs.

Eric Stults will face the task of slowing down a Colorado attack that scored 28 runs this weekend in the Rockies' four-game sweep of the Pirates at Coors Field.

He does not plan on allowing the Coors Field effect to alter the way he pitches.

"Same mind-set as any start," Stults said. "You have the same game plan that you take into any start. I don't think you change things just because of the location you're going to. You know the elements going in, but you can't be afraid or change the way you're going to approach the game. You're still going to stay with your strengths, use those hopefully to your advantage."

Stults said his changeup location was better in his last start before the break against the Marlins, when he pitched six shutout innings after allowing the first three batters to score. He had struggled to locate that pitch in his previous two lackluster starts.

The lefty yielded six runs (five earned) in 9 1/3 innings of those two previous outings (4.82 ERA) after allowing a single earned run in 15 innings of his first two starts, both wins.

"I think just staying aggressive with it is the key," Stults said of his changeup. "Some were coming back across the plate because I wasn't staying aggressive and finishing it off. The last game I was doing a better job, maybe got a little better extension and just threw it with the same aggressiveness as the fastball."

Pitching matchup
LAD: LHP Eric Stults (2-2, 2.67 ERA)
Eric Stults isn't overpowering, so his margin for error isn't great, as was demonstrated when he allowed first-inning back-to-back homers to the Marlins. But he made a quick adjustment and kept Florida off the scoreboard for the rest of his six-inning outing. He's already thrown a shutout, and that ERA is hard to overlook. When he keeps his off-speed stuff down, he can mow through a lineup efficiently.

COL: RHP Kip Wells (1-1, 2.29 ERA)
This will be Wells' return to the Majors. He hasn't appeared in a big league game since April 28, when the blood clot in his right hand made it impossible for him to continue. Also, it's his first start since the Rockies' first game, when he held the Cardinals to one run and four hits in 5 1/3 innings in a no-decision that the Rockies eventually won. The Rockies need rotation leadership and are turning to Wells, who believed he should have been in the rotation when the season began.

Tidbits
The Dodgers took two of three this weekend in Arizona to improve their record to 3-5 against the D-backs this season after dropping four of five to Arizona in April. Los Angeles has won the season series against the D-backs by a 10-8 margin the past two years. ... Jeff Kent's home run on Saturday gives him 17 consecutive seasons with 10 or more homers, the most among active players. Ivan Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez are tied for second with 15 straight years of double-digit long balls. ... Andre Ethier is 4-for-6 with three doubles in his career against Wells, but Kent is just 2-for-19 (.105). ... Stults gave up two runs on two hits in seven innings to beat the Rockies on Aug. 17, 2007, in his only career start against the franchise. On the other side, Wells is 0-3 with a 5.88 ERA in five career appearances (four starts) against the Dodgers. ... The Dodgers' bullpen had pitched 12 straight scoreless innings against the D-backs before Jonathan Broxton allowed a run in the ninth. ... Nomar Garciaparra got his first career hit against Brandon Webb on Sunday with a single in his 18th at-bat against the sinkerballer. ... James Loney recorded his 26th multihit game on Sunday to tie Kemp for the team lead in that department.

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Up next
• Tuesday: Dodgers (Jason Johnson, 0-0, 3.00) at Rockies (Ubaldo Jimenez, 5-9, 4.20), 6:05 p.m. PT
• Wednesday: Dodgers (Hiroki Kuroda, 5-6, 3.79) at Rockies (Glendon Rusch, 3-3, 5.79), 12:05 p.m. PT
• Thursday: Off-day