Royals at Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw has gone more than two months without tasting defeat and takes a nine-game winning streak into Sunday's finale of a three-game set against the visiting Kansas City Royals. The red-hot Dodgers look to complete a three-game sweep of Kansas City and wrap up a perfect 6-0 homestand entering the All-Star break.
Rookie Cody Bellinger belted a tying home run in the bottom of the eighth inning before drawing a bases-loaded walk in the 10th in Saturday's 5-4 victory as Los Angeles improved to 25-4 in its last 29 games and became the first team to reach 60 wins. Kershaw is making a strong case for his fourth Cy Young Award in seven years, leading the majors with 13 victories and last losing on May 1. Kansas City entered the series as one of the hottest teams in the majors but is trying to avoid its first three-game losing streak since dropping its final nine in April. Royals catcher Salvador Perez homered and drove in a pair of runs Saturday to extend his hitting streak to eight games.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, FSN Kansas City, SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals LH Danny Duffy (5-4, 3.51 ERA) vs. Dodgers LH Clayton Kershaw (13-2, 2.19)
Duffy was just starting to settle into a groove before landing on the disabled list due to a strained left oblique that sidelined him for just over five weeks. The 28-year-old returned to the rotation Tuesday and picked up the win after limiting Seattle to two runs and five hits over 5 2/3 innings. Duffy gave up 27 homers last year, but he has not allowed one in nine of his last 10 starts.
Kershaw won his sixth consecutive start in overpowering fashion versus Arizona on Tuesday, permitting two hits over seven scoreless innings while racking up 11 strikeouts. Over his last three starts, Kershaw has not surrendered an earned run and yielded a scant nine hits in 20 innings. No current Royals player has more than four at-bats against Kershaw, with Eric Hosmer 2-for-4.
WALK-OFFS
1. Perez has 14 RBIs in his last 11 games to push his season total to 57; his career high is 79 on 2013.
2. The Dodgers, winners of 17 of 18 at home, are 51-18 since Bellinger was promoted from the minors.
3. Hosmer is riding a 14-game hitting streak and has multiple hits in five of eight contests in July.