The Los Angeles Dodgers had their five-game winning streak snapped by the Colorado Rockies, who are 7-3 in their past 10 games and sit atop the National League West standings by 2.5 games. For Clayton Kershaw, he makes a second start at Coors Field this season and faces the Rockies a third time overall in 2017.
Kershaw’s last time pitching well above sea level was hardly a memorable experience. In the April 8 start, which was his second outing of the season, Kershaw allowed four runs on eight hits over six laborious innings.
The Rockies tagged the Dodgers ace for three home runs, including back-to-back homers, which was a career first for Kershaw. While some attributed the struggles to the environment, Kershaw downplayed that and credited the Rockies for taking advantage of mistake pitches.
When the three-time Cy Young Award winner next faced Colorado — April 19 at Dodger Stadium — he overcame a bit of a rough first inning to finish with 10 strikeouts over seven innings. Kershaw allowed two runs on five his, and was dismayed by Rockies starter Tyler Anderson delaying first pitch.
Kershaw issued four walks in his last outing, during which he said he grew too emotional. Kershaw is 8-4 with a 4.71 ERA in 18 career starts at Coors Field, and 19-6 with a 3.15 ERA in 34 career starts against the Rockies.
Overall this season, the 29-year-old is 5-2 with a 2.40 ERA and 0.92 WHIP in seven starts. Kershaw has amassed 53 strikeouts to seven walks in 48.2 innings.
Looking to put further distance between themselves and the Dodgers, the Rockies hand the ball to Tyler Chatwood. He’s coming off seven strong innings at Coors Field, in which the Arizona Diamondbacks managed just one run and two hits off the right-hander.
Chatwood enters Friday start 3-4 with a 4.74 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. He went 1-2 with a 3.75 ERA against the Dodgers last season. He’s a lifetime 4-6 with a 3.52 ERA in 11 games when facing Los Angeles.
Yasmani Grandal is 5-for-7 off Chatwood, with a double, triple, home run and three RBI. Nolan Arenado is a career 13-for-39 (.333 batting average) against Kershaw, with three doubles and two home runs.
Dodgers lineup:
CF: Joc Pederson
SS: Corey Seager
3B: Justin Turner
LF: Cody Bellinger
C: Yasmani Grandal
2B: Chris Taylor
1B: Chase Utley
RF: Yasiel Puig
P: Clayton Kershaw
Rockies lineup:
CF: Charlie Blackmon
2B: DJ LeMahieu
3B: Nolan Arenado
1B: Mark Reynolds
LF: Ian Desmond
RF: Carlos Gonzalez
SS: Pat Valaika
C: Dustin Garneau
P: Tyler Chatwood
