When Clayton Kershaw takes the mound against the Rockies at Dodger Stadium, it’s simply not a fair fight.
On June 18, 2014, Kershaw no-hit the Rockies in one of the greatest pitching performances of all time. The lefty struck out a career-high 15 that magical night, allowing his only baserunner on a throwing error by shortstop Hanley Ramirez in Los Angeles’ 8-0 victory.
Friday night, Kershaw, now 34, didn’t come close to perfection, but he was dominant nonetheless. He pitched six scoreless innings in Los Angeles’ 10-1 victory over the slumping Rockies, who’ve lost a season-high six games and are 1-10 in their past 11 games.
Colorado finished the month with a 9-17, its second-worst September record in club history.
“It’s frustrating, for sure,” manager Bud Black told AT&T SportsNet in reference to the Rockies’ ongoing offensive woes. “A lot of times, guys are trying too hard to get things done. … A hit here or there could loosen some guys up a bit.”
The Dodgers, meanwhile, are re-writing history. Now 109-48, they are aiming to become the first National League team with 110-plus wins since the 1909 Pittsburgh Pirates. They have five games left to do it, all of them against the Rockies who slid to 24-52 away from Coors Field.
Kershaw’s spell over the Rockies is remarkable. In 21 starts against them in L.A., Kershaw is 14-3 with a 1.81 ERA.
Friday night, he gave up five hits, walked two and struck out four. The only inning in which the Rockies even laid a glove on Kershaw was the second when Brendan Rodgers hit a one-out single and rookie left fielder Sean Bouchard followed with a double. But Kershaw struck out Elias Diaz and got rookie shortstop Ezequiel Tovar to fly out to right field.
Colorado right-hander Chad Kuhl — a pending free agent who might, or might not be in the club’s plans for 2023 — pitched pretty well for three innings. But the roof caved in when the Dodgers scored eight runs in the fourth.
Gavin Lux and Chris Taylor singled, setting the table for Cody Bellinger’s three-run homer. A double by Mookie Betts and a walk by Freddie Freeman ended Kuhl’s night, but the Dodgers’ party was just beginning. They ripped reliever Jake Bird for three runs on four hits.
Kuhl’s line: eight runs allowed on six hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Kuhl has a 5.72 ERA.
“After the Bellinger home run, he didn’t make a lot of good pitches,” Black told MLB.com.
Smith’s line: 1 2/3 innings, three runs on four hits with two strikeouts. Smith has a 5.12 ERA.
And here’s another set of stats worth noting: Colorado was 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position, while L.A. was 6-for-12.
