Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) – Howie Kendrick smacked a two-run homer
among his two hits and three RBI as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the
Colorado Rockies 7-3 in the opener of a three-game set.
Adrian Gonzalez tallied three hits, three runs scored and a pair of RBI for
the Dodgers, who have won five straight games.
Clayton Kershaw (1-1) picked up his first win of the season, striking out 12
and surrendering three runs — one earned — on six hits and a walk over six
innings.
“Clayton still is searching,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “He had a
bunch of punchouts tonight, but he doesn’t seem like himself yet.”
Kyle Kendrick (1-2) surrendered six runs on seven hits and four walks over 4
2/3 frames for Colorado, which had its three-game winning streak snapped.
“I left a pitch up to Howie and I made a couple of mistakes,” said Kendrick.
“My command wasn’t there. I was just trying to be too fine.”
Charlie Blackmon cracked a two-run homer and Troy Tulowitzki added a solo shot
in defeat.
Blackmon’s two-run shot to right in the top of the fifth cut the Rockies’
deficit to 4-3, but the Dodgers answered with two runs in the bottom half and
added another in the seventh to pull away for good.
Carl Crawford hit a one-out single and Gonzalez followed by banging a double
to right to score him. Howie Kendrick plated Gonzalez with a two-bagger to
right.
Andre Ethier’s sacrifice fly in the seventh made it 7-3.
Earlier, the Dodgers jumped out to a nice cushion after pushing across three
runs in the opening frame.
Jimmy Rollins walked to start the first, stole second during Crawford’s at-bat
— he later popped out — and came home on a Gonzalez double to center. Howie
Kendrick then blasted a first pitch sinker into the seats in left.
Tulowitzki led off the fourth with his shot to left, but the Dodgers got the
run back in the home half when Yasmani Grandal scored on a wild pitch.
Game Notes
Kershaw held a 3-0 mark and 0.41 ERA versus the Rockies last season, no-
hitting them the last time he faced them at Dodger Stadium … Gonzalez has 11
RBI so far this season … The Dodgers were 4-for-9 with runners in scoring
position, while Colorado finished 2-for-5.
