The Los Angeles Dodgers snapped a three-game losing streak on the back of 10 strikeouts by Clayton Kershaw in a 4-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday. Kershaw worked seven innings, allowing two runs to earn his third victory of the year.
DJ LeMahieu and Nolan Arenado were Colorado’s only starters to escape the game without a punchout, as Kenley Jansen also notched a pair of strikeouts in the ninth inning to give the Dodgers an even dozen and notch his fourth save of the season. Trevor Story fanned three times, and the Rockies were just 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position in the loss. LeMahieu had a pair of hits and a run, upping his average to .281 on the year. It was LeMahieu’s fifth multi-hit game in the last six.
Rockies starter Tyler Anderson continued to struggle in the early part of the season, allowing four runs and committing a throwing error in his five innings of work. The young left-hander has pitched into the sixth inning only once in his first four outings. Colorado has lost each of his last three starts; Anderson was the pitcher of record in all three defeats. Jordan Lyles, Jake McGee and Carlos Estevez combined for three innings of on-hit baseball to give the Rockies a chance, but Kershaw was simply too dominant on the night.
Colorado split the short, two-game series with the Dodgers to finish their West Coast road trip at 4-2 against the Dodgers and Giants. The loss moves Colorado into a tie with Arizona for first place in the NL West with a record of 10-6. The Rockies have an off day Thursday before hosting the Giants at Coors Field for a weekend series beginning Friday.
