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 Right fielder Andre Ethier and shortstop Jimmy Rollins hit solo
homers for the Dodgers in the second inning. Center fielder Joc
Pederson hit a three-run shot in the sixth, when the Dodgers sent 12
batters to the plate and broke open a 2-2 game with a six-run
uprising that matched their highest-scoring inning of the season.
Pederson's homer, his 14th of the season, came against left-hander
Christian Friedrich. It gave the Dodgers a 7-2 lead and ended
Friedrich's homerless streak at 38 1/3 innings dating to June 26,
2014. It was the first homer Friedrich has allowed relieving.
"It was a terrible pitch, especially in a 2-2 count," said
Friedrich, who relieved starter Kyle Kendrick. "I threw some good
sliders before that. Trying to get him with a heater down and away.
Left it up in the zone, didn't execute. Just a really bad pitch. I
had us in a close ballgame and kind of put us out of reach."
Los Angeles second baseman Howie Kendrick hit a three-run homer in
the eighth to give him four RBIs, tying his career high. First
baseman Adrian Gonzalez went 4-for-4, and everybody in the Dodgers'
starting lineup had at least one hit in the team's 18-hit attack.
Kershaw (4-3) hit a run-scoring single and scored a run in the sixth
after earlier hitting a double and a single.
The Dodgers' ace left-hander was coming off his best start of the
season -- seven scoreless innings with no walks and 10 strikeouts
May 26 against the Atlanta Braves -- and he continued to put the
early-season talk about his unexpected struggles far behind him. He
allowed two runs -- on third baseman Nolan Arenado's two-run homer
in the fourth -- on five hits in seven innings. He walked one,
struck out seven and lowered his ERA to 3.73.
"The last two, especially, I felt happy coming out of the game,"
Kershaw said. "That's a new feeling for me (this season). I try to
build on that, for sure."
Kershaw has 16 career wins against the Rockies, more than he has
against any other club. In his past nine starts against them,
Kershaw is 8-0 with a 2.62 ERA. His last loss to Colorado was July
12, 2013.
"He was pretty good," Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon said.
"I felt like he really didn't give in. Pitched ahead in the count
most of the time. He's just got good stuff, and he rarely leaves it
over the plate. He doesn't always get you out the way he meant to
get you out. He just finds a way to make you miss the barrel."
The Rockies saw their season-high four-game winning streak end as
they fell for just the second time in nine games. The Dodgers scored
eight total runs while losing three of their previous four games.
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Colorado starter Kyle Kendrick (2-7) allowed six runs (five earned)
on 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings. Other than the two homers to Ethier and
Rollins, Kendrick held the Dodgers in check until their sixth-inning
rally, when the first run-scoring hit was left fielder Kike
Hernandez's broken-bat single just out of Kendrick's reach and up
the middle.
"He didn't have his 'A' stuff tonight like he has recently," manager
Walt Weiss said. "But I thought he battled with what he had and got
to a point in the game where he put us in pretty good position. But
once the lineup turns over (for a third time), I'm going to try to
match up. It didn't work out."
On May 10 at Coors Field, Kershaw gave up five runs in 5 2/3 innings
and left with the game tied at 5 and wasn't involved in the
decision. In 17 career starts at Coors Field, Kershaw is 8-3 with a
4.63 ERA.
"Feels good to pitch OK here, too." Kershaw said. "It's always a
little bit of an extra challenge to pitch here. To come out of it,
get a win, keep our team in it long enough for us to score some runs
like that, it's just a good game all around."
NOTES: Dodgers RHP Matt West was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City
one day after being recalled, and the Dodgers selected the contract
of LHP David Huff from Oklahoma City. To make room on the 40-man
roster for Huff, OF Carl Crawford (right oblique strain) was
transferred from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day DL. ...
Dodgers RF Yasiel Puig (left hamstring strain), who has been on the
15-day disabled list since April 26, is likely to begin a rehab
assignment this week. ... Rockies RHP Jordan Lyles (sprained big
left toe) was placed on the 15-day disabled list, and RHP Tommy
Kahnle was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque. ... Rockies RHP David
Hale will be recalled as the 26th man for Tuesday's doubleheader and
will start the second game....Dodgers RHP Juan Nicasio, who was
traded to them by the Rockies in the offseason, will start the first
game of the doubleheader ... Rockies RHP LaTroy Hawkins (right
biceps strain) threw 30 pitches in a simulated game and could go out
on a rehab assignment later this week.
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