Just like his return from the disabled list, Clayton Kershaw takes the mound with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the midst of another losing streak. Whereas he helped stop a five-game skid last week, he now starts with the Dodgers on a season-worst six-game losing streak.
The Dodgers have won 16 straight games that Kershaw has started, in a streak that dates back to May 1. Overall this season, they have won 20 of his 22 starts.
Kershaw allowed just two hits and struck out seven over six shutout innings in his first start off the DL. He enters with a 16-2 record, 1.95 ERA, 2.84 FIP, 0.86 WHIP, and 175 strikeouts against just 24 walks in 147.1 innings pitched this season.
In 36 career starts against the Colorado Rockies, Kershaw is 21-6 with a 3.05 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. One of the losses came in April, in which he started opposite Jon Gray.
The right-hander is 6-4 with a 4.26 ERA, 3.47 FIP and 1.43 WHIP in 15 starts this season. Gray has 79 strikeouts and 26 walks over 80.1 innings of work. He hasn’t fared particularly well since returning from the DL at the end of June, as he’s yielded a 4.24 ERA over 12 starts.
Surprisingly, Gray has been much better at Coors Field than on the road this season. He sports a 3.34 ERA at home, compared to a 4.96 ERA in nine road starts. Gray allowed four hits and one run in 5.1 innings when he last faced the Dodgers.
The Los Angeles offense has been cooled in recent weeks, as they have scored a combined 15 runs in their last eight games en route to losing 11 of their last 12. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts continues to stick with Curtis Granderson in left field and batting second despite his recent struggles.
Granderson is just 6-for-60 (.100 batting average) with the Dodgers, although four of those hits are home runs. He is 1-for-23 in his last six games. Justin Turner has remained a steady force but is receiving a planned night off, which puts Logan Forsythe at third base.
Nolan Arenado and Gerardo Parra are the only Rockies players to have any success off Kershaw. Arenado is 14-for-45 (.311) with two home runs, while Parra is 12-for-36 (.333) with a home run.
Dodgers lineup:
SS: Chris Taylor
LF: Curtis Granderson
1B: Cody Bellinger
C: Yasmani Grandal
RF: Yasiel Puig
CF: Joc Pederson
3B: Logan Forsythe
2B: Chase Utley
P: Clayton Kershaw
Rockies lineup:
CF: Charlie Blackmon
2B: D.J. Lemahieu
3B: Nolan Arenado
1B: MArk Reynolds
LF: Gerardo Parra
SS: Trevor Story
RF: Carlos Gonzalez
C: Jonathan Lucroy
P: Jon Gray
