The Sports Xchange
Jun 25, 2017
LOS ANGELES -- Clayton Kershaw threw six shutout innings for his 11th win of 2017 and Joc Pederson homered to extend Los Angeles' streak of games with a home run to 16 as the Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies 4-0 Saturday night.
Kershaw (11-2), the most dominating active pitcher in the major leagues, has been especially excellent against the Rockies. He is now 21-6 all-time in 36 starts with a 3.04 ERA, the most wins against any team he's faced. He has a career 1.46 ERA covering 17 starts against the Rockies at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers extended their winning streak to nine straight and they have won 15 of their last 16. It was also their 10th straight win at home and improved their major league-leading home record to 31-10.
The 16-game home run streak is one shy of the L.A. franchise record of 17 set in 1960. The 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers hold the all-time record of 24. The Dodgers have hit 38 home runs in their last 16 games.
The win clinched the series for the Dodgers and will mark the first time in 2017 that the Rockies have lost consecutive series. The Rockies have lost a season-high four straight.
Kershaw allowed just four hits and a walk in six innings while striking out eight. He made 33 pitches in the first inning, loading the bases with one out but striking out Ian Desmond and Trevor Story.
Kershaw has now made 10 consecutive starts without a loss, the third-longest active streak in the majors behind Houston's Dallas Keuchel (13) and teammate Alex Wood (11).
The Dodgers scored a run in the first on an Enrique Hernandez single and added three in the third thanks to an error by right-fielder Raimel Tapia and four walks by starter Tyler Chatwood (6-8). The Dodgers only had six hits but 10 walks, Chatwood walking eight in 3 1/3 innings.
The Rockies made Kershaw throw 33 pitches in the first inning, fouling off 10 pitches.
A double by DJ LeMahieu, infield single by Nolan Arenado and a walk loaded the bases with one out, but Kershaw struck out Ian Desmond and Trevor Story to end the threat.
Chatwood was wild all night. He walked Logan Forsythe and Yasiel Puig in the second with one out and allowed a run-scoring single by Hernandez on a 3-1 pitch.
Pederson hit the first pitch in the bottom of the third for his sixth home run of the season, a shot to center that extended the Dodgers streak of games with a home run to 16.
The Rockies then gifted the Dodgers two more. Right-fielder Raimel Tapia let Yasmani Grandal's single slip under his glove and to the wall, allowing Justin Turner, who had walked, to score from first.
Chatwood proceeded to walk Puig, Hernandez and Kershaw to make it 4-0. The right-hander walked eight before leaving after 3 1/3 innings, with only 41 strikes among his 88 pitches.
Kershaw retired 13 straight after loading the bases in the first.
NOTES: Dodgers SS Corey Seager has a Grade 1 hamstring strain in his right leg and sat out Saturday's game against the Rockies. He had an MRI exam Saturday morning to examine the injury he suffered in the second inning Friday. He's listed as day-to-day. ... Rockies CF Charlie Blackmon singled in the fifth, his 100th hit of the season. ... Rockies RF Carlos Gonzalez was out of the lineup again with a sore right shoulder. ... Rockies RHP Chad Qualls, who has been sidelined by back spasms, had a successful bullpen session and the Rockies expect to schedule him a rehab assignment next week. The team hopes he will be ready to return to the roster around the All-Star break. ... OF Carlos Gonzalez sat out another game with back spasms. ... RHP Jon Gray, out since early April after suffering a fractured foot, had a rehab appearance in Triple-A Albuquerque Saturday. He could be activated this week but manager Bud Black hasn't speculated on when he may rejoin the rotation.