Rockies at Dodgers
Clayton Kershaw looks to recapture his 2014 National League MVP and Cy Young form when his Los Angeles Dodgers host Colorado Rockies on Friday to start a three-game series. Kershaw, who went 21-3 last season and allowed one run in 22 innings against the Rockies, has been far from dominant in his first two appearances of 2015.
Kershaw told reporters he “made a lot of mistakes” in the 6-0 loss at Arizona last Saturday and he looks to turn things around to help the Dodgers extend their winning streak to five. That won’t be easy against red-hot Colorado, which is coming off a three-game sweep at San Francisco and has matched its best nine-game start (7-2). Kyle Kendrick takes the mound for the Rockies, who are 6-0 on the road and allowed two or fewer runs in six of their seven wins. Colorado’s DJ LeMahieu has hit safely in all nine games and is batting .514, second only behind Adrian Gonzalez (.528) of Los Angeles in the majors through Wednesday.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Colorado), SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Kyle Kendrick (1-1, 6.00 ERA) vs. Dodgers LH Clayton Kershaw (0-1, 5.84)
Kendrick shut out Milwaukee over seven innings in his first start and was pounded for eight runs in five frames his second outing against the Chicago Cubs. The 30-year-old Texan, who was 74-68 in eight years with Philadelphia before signing as a free agent in the offseason, allowed three homers against the Cubs. Yasiel Puig (hamstring), who could return after missing the last two games, is 5-for-9 against Kendrick (5-6 in 13 games with a 6.47 ERA versus the Dodgers).
Kershaw’s struggles out of the gate are not uncommon, considering he has a career record of 7-9 in April with a 3.47 ERA – his highest of any month. The 27-year-old, who went 85-36 in his previous five seasons, has allowed nine runs (eight earned) and 16 hits in 12 1/3 innings. Nick Hundley is 9-for-29 versus Kershaw, who went 3-0 with a complete-game shutout against the Rockies last season and is 13-5 with a 3.17 ERA lifetime when facing them.
WALK OFFS
1. Los Angeles CF Joc Pederson is 6-of-12 with five walks, a home run and four RBIs the last four contests.
2. Colorado’s 3B Nolan Arenado and LF Corey Dickerson were two of three major league players with at least 10 RBIs going into Thursday’s games.
3. The Dodgers have won five of the last seven meetings and scored 42 runs combined in those victories.