The Los Angeles Dodgers notched their ninth shutout victory of the season on Friday and matched their longest home winning streak in 2016 at seven games. Los Angeles enters the second of a three-game series with the Colorado Rockies six games back of the San Francisco Giants.
Scott Kazmir takes the mound unbeaten in his last nine starts, going 4-0 with a 4.03 ERA over that stretch. Kazmir’s inflated ERA can be attributed to his prolonged struggles in the first inning.
The southpaw owns a 9.00 ERA in the opening frame and opponents are batting .342/.429/.479 with four doubles and two home runs. After allowing four runs to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first inning of his last start, Kazmir settled in to throw four scoreless innings.
He allowed four runs on six hits in five innings of work against the Rockies on April 22. Kazmir didn’t earn a decision, though the Dodgers dropped the game.
Overall this season, Kazmir is 6-3 with a 4.67 ERA, 4.58 FIP and 1.32 WHIP. He’s opposed by young right-hander Chad Bettis. He’s 6-5 with a 5.85 ERA and 1.55 WHIP, including a 4-3 mark and 5.23 ERA on the road this season.
Bettis owns a career 4.58 ERA in six games (three starts) against the Dodgers. He faces a Dodgers lineup with a hot-hitting Corey Seager, who was named the National League Rookie of the Month for June.
Seager is currently in the midst of a career-high 14-game winning streak. Howie Kendrick starts at second base and bats leadoff. He’s hitting .315 (17-for-54) with five doubles, one home run and four RBIs in his last 17 games since June 13.
Dodgers lineup:
2B: Howie Kendrick
SS: Corey Seager
3B: Justin Turner
1B: Adrian Gonzalez
RF: Yasiel Puig
CF: Trayce Thompson
LF: Scott Van Slyke
C: A.J. Ellis
P: Scott Kazmir
Rockies lineup:
CF: Charlie Blackmon
2B: DJ LeMahieu
3B: Nolan Arenado
RF: Carlos Gonzalez
LF: Ryan Rabrun
1B: Mark Reynolds
SS: Cristhian Adames
C: Tony Wolters
P: Chad Bettis
