Dodger Stadium saw quite a pitchers duel Tuesday night, with Clayton Kershaw facing off with Jhoulys Chacin. The Dodgers only managed four hits, but made them count with a little help from the Colorado defense, and picked up a 3-2 win over the Rockies. It was the fourth straight win for the Dodgers.
Matt Kemp drove in two runs with a double to the right field gap in the fourth inning, and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Juan Rivera.
Kershaw threw a career-high 125 pitches in his 6 2/3 innings, and labored a bit over his last few innings. The Rockies put men in scoring position in every inning from the fourth to the seventh off Kershaw, and plated single runs in the fifth and seventh. Kershaw left with runners on first and third and two outs, and reliever Matt Guerrier got out of the jam by inducing a 20-foot ground ball in front of the plate by Troy Tulowitzki to end the inning.
It was the fourth straight win for Kershaw, who improved to 12-4 on the season. Kershaw also leads the major leagues in strikeouts with 173, four more than Justin Verlander of Detroit (though Verlander gained one on Kershaw tonight). By allowing two runs in 6 2/3 innings on the night, Kershaw lowered his ERA on the season from 2.7185 all the way to 2.7177.
Chacin was effective against the Dodgers yet again this season, but his defense didn't help him. The Dodgers finally scored against Chacin, the first time in three starts they had done so, though only one of the three runs charged to Chacin was earned. Chacin allowed just three hits and a walk, and those three runs, in his six innings, striking out two.
Kenley Jansen retired the side in order in the ninth for his second save of the season. Since returning from the disabled list, Jansen has pitched 16 scoreless innings in a row, with seven walks and 26 strikeouts. Hiroki Kuroda pitches for the Dodgers as they go for the sweep Wednesday night, against Aaron Cook for Colorado.
For more news and information on the Dodgers, or on tonight's game, be sure to read the SB Nation blog True Blue LA.