Final
Angels-Dodgers Preview
Aug 1, 2015 - 6:34 AM A few days later than expected, Clayton Kershaw finally appears ready to continue his recent dominance.Riding the majors' longest active scoreless streak, the left-hander will get the ball in the Freeway Series on Saturday at Dodger Stadium opposite unbeaten Andrew Heaney and the Los Angeles Angels.
Though Kershaw (8-6, 2.51 ERA) saw his bid for a perfect game end in the seventh inning last Thursday against the New York Mets, he hasn't allowed a run in 29 innings after tossing a three-hitter with 11 strikeouts during that 3-0 win.
"That's what aces do. When he's like that, they've got no chance," teammate Jimmy Rollins told MLB's official website.
Kershaw last yielded a run in the fourth inning of a 2-1 loss to the Mets on July 3. In three starts since, he's recorded two complete games and struck out 38 without a walk over 26 innings to become the first pitcher in history with three straight scoreless starts that included no walks and at least 10 strikeouts.
Kershaw, 3-1 with an 0.97 ERA in his last five home starts, had this start originally pushed back from Wednesday to Friday due to hip soreness. He then got pushed back one more day, with Zack Greinke pitching Friday's three-game series opener and getting the win in a 5-3 victory.
''As much as anything, we're just making sure that everything's good,'' manager Don Mattingly said. ''He threw yesterday before his (charity bowling) event, and we knew he was feeling good. But we wanted to give him the extra day and keep Zack on (his regular rest).''
Kershaw, who insisted to reporters he will pitch Saturday, is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA in three home starts against the Angels.
Albert Pujols is 9 for 20 with four doubles against him while Mike Trout is 2 for 3 with a double. Both faced Kershaw this year in the All-Star game, with Pujols walking and Trout grounding out against the NL's losing pitcher.
Heaney (5-0, 1.79) will make his seventh start after winning his last five. He is trying to become the first Angels rookie to win six straight starts since Jered Weaver in 2006. In that year, Weaver also became the only pitcher in club history to throw at least six innings and allow two runs or fewer in his first seven starts.
"I'm trying to take the same stuff out there; the only thing that changes is the hitters," he told MLB's official website.
The Angels (55-47) have provided a healthy amount of support with 35 runs for him in his last four outings. That includes Sunday's 13-7 victory over Texas in which the left-hander gave up two runs in six innings.
Greinke struck out eight in eight innings for the Dodgers (58-45). Howie Kendrick homered in his first game against his former team and rookie Alex Guerrero hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the fourth inning.
Trout finished a double shy of the cycle and drilled his major league-leading 32nd homer in the ninth off closer Kenley Jansen. He finished with three RBIs and half of the Angels' hits, with Kole Calhoun getting the other three.
Pujols was 0 for 4 with three strikeouts and will seek to avoid going hitless in three straight games for the first time since Aug. 31-Sept. 2.
The Dodgers have won six of their last eight at home while the Angels have lost seven of eight overall.
- LOS ANGELES: 1
LOS ANGELES: 3
Final
Aug 1 6:51 PM - Pujols singled to left, Dav.Murphy scored, Calhoun to third.
Angels 1, Dodgers 3 Top 9, 2 OutsAug 1 6:50 PM - Albert Pujols singles to left field. Kole Calhoun to third. David Murphy scores.
Angels 1, Dodgers 3 Top 9, 2 OutsAug 1 6:49 PM - Grandal homered to center on a 1-1 count, A.Gonzalez scored.
Angels 0, Dodgers 3 Bot 6, 2 OutsAug 1 5:57 PM - Yasmani Grandal homers to center field. Adrian Gonzalez scores.
Angels 0, Dodgers 3 Bot 6, 2 OutsAug 1 5:57 PM - Van Slyke hit a sacrifice fly to left fielder DeJesus, H.Kendrick scored.
Angels 0, Dodgers 1 Bot 6, 1 OutAug 1 5:52 PM - Scott Van Slyke out on a sacrifice fly to deep left field to David DeJesus. Howie Kendrick scores.
Angels 0, Dodgers 1 Bot 6, 0 OutsAug 1 5:52 PM - Shane Victorino grounds out to shallow infield, Clayton Kershaw to Adrian Gonzalez.
Aug 1 4:06 PM - LOS ANGELES: 0
LOS ANGELES: 0
Top 1, 0 Outs
Aug 1 4:05 PM
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