Hang out with interim manager Warren Schaeffer long and you will notice that he bristles at any talk of “measuring sticks” when it comes to his Colorado Rockies versus any other MLB team.

Whether it’s the defending world champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the opposing dugout or the American League Central’s last-place Chicago White Sox, Schaeffer isn’t concerned about comparing resumes. His focus, since he took over the team May 11, has been on his team getting better every day, no matter what that may look like compared to other squads.

“That’s a really good team over there. Everybody knows that they’re the defending world champs,” Schaeffer said as he looked toward the Dodgers dugout Thursday morning. “But we’re looking to every game, no matter who the opponent is, to throw nine solid innings out there and try to get a win.”

For the Dodgers, amid a race with the San Diego Padres for the top spot in the National League West, that singular focus and the results from it came this week at a pressure-filled time when every game mattered.

After a 22-74 record before the All-Star break, the Rockies are 15-17 in the season’s second half after Thursday’s loss to the Dodgers that salvaged Los Angeles a split of the four-game series. Entering Thursday, the Rockies ranked third among MLB’s 30 teams in batting average (.272), fifth in slugging percentage (.452) and total bases (476) and sixth in OPS (.771) and extra-base hits (102) since the All-Star Game.

With those kinds of numbers over 31 games, the question is no longer whether the Rockies will set the all-time MLB record with losses with 122. It’s now can the Rockies actually play close to .500 baseball for the rest of the season.

In a campaign where there will once again be no Rocktober, the focus at Coors Field has morphed into a young Rockies team that is learning how to play well not only against the Dodgers, but whoever occupies the other dugout.

“These young guys are starting to really get a foothold and feel comfortable throughout the course of 162 games,” said Kyle Freeland, a member of the Rockies rotation since 2017 and one of the clubhouse veterans. “They’re understanding what it takes to play 162 games at the big-league level, listening to your body, taking care of your body, sticking to your work ethic, sticking to your routine and being as consistent as you possibly can.”

One of those “young guys” is Tanner Gordon, who limited the Dodgers to one run and four hits over six innings of work Wednesday night, helping the Rockies secure the victory.

Gordon allowed a double to leadoff batter Shohei Ohtani on the first pitch of the game and hit Freddie Freeman with a pitch one batter later. Against the mighty Dodgers, it was an early chance for Gordon, making just his 17th MLB start, to crumble under the pressure.

Instead, he got Teoscar Hernandez to ground into an inning-ending double play.

“It just comes down to confidence in your pitches and yourself,” Gordon said. “If you go out there and attack, once the ball leaves your hand, it’s out of your control. It’s about attacking and staying aggressive the whole game.”

And yes, that confidence is still there, even if it’s two potential future Hall of Famers in Ohtani and Freeman near the top of the Los Angeles order.

“Prior to the game, you see him (Ohtani) on the lineup card, and you think, ‘Oh, dang,’” Gordon said. “You see all those names, and that excitement factor kicks in. But once you get on the field, and I’m sure a lot of guys will agree with this, it just goes back to baseball.”

Which is exactly what Schaeffer wants from his team with 34 games left in the season as they begin a series in Pittsburgh against the Pirates on Friday.

“We’re just trying every day to stack games on top of each other. Stack the way we’re playing on top of each other with our effort level and our style of baseball,” Schaeffer said. “We believe that works and it’s good. It’s also good that we’re seeing some results from that as well.”