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Chacin aims to slow down red-hot Dodgers

Jul 4, 2013 - 2:11 PM (Sports Network) - Jhoulys Chacin's scoreless innings streak figures to face a major test on Thursday night when the Colorado Rockies conclude a three-game series with the red-hot Los Angeles Dodgers.

Chacin has won each of his past four starts and has not allowed a run in each of his last two outings, a span of 15 innings. That current scoreless streak is just a third of an inning shy of his career high that he set from April 27- May 8, 2010.

Chacin has not lost since May 16, logging four straight no-decisions after the defeat prior to his string of victories. He has been touched for just four runs total over the four wins.

The right-hander logged eight frames of three-hit ball with three walks in a 4-1 win over the San Francisco Giants on Friday, moving to 7-3 on the year with a 3.59 earned run average in 15 starts.

"That's as good as it gets right there from Jhoulys," said Colorado manager Walt Weiss. "He was efficient; two-seamer and slider were real good. To hold that club scoreless for eight innings is very impressive."

The 25-year-old is 6-5 lifetime versus the Dodgers with a 3.50 ERA in 13 previous meetings, all but one of those starts. That includes a rough outing at home on June 1, when Chacin yielded five runs over six innings of a no- decision in a game his club won 7-6.

Chacin faces the tough task of trying to slow down a Dodgers club that has won 10 of its past 11 games, logging at least 14 hits in three straight contests. That surge has helped Los Angeles forge a second-place tie with Colorado in the NL West, 2 1/2 games behind the front-running Arizona Diamondbacks.

Matt Kemp, Hanley Ramirez, Adrian Gonzalez and Juan Uribe all hit homers in Wednesday's 10-8 triumph, while Mark Ellis had three hits. Ramirez, meanwhile, ended 4-for-5 with three runs scored and is batting .500 (27-for-54) over a 14-game hitting streak with six homers and 16 RBI.

"We know we can come back and win a game," said Ramirez. "That's the difference right now. Things are going good, we keep competing out there and we don't give up."

Zack Greinke allowed five runs over five innings, but still got the victory, while Kenley Jansen logged a four-out save despite giving up a run in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Just about everything seems to be going the Dodgers' way right now, though the club did get a scare in the fifth inning when rookie sensation Yasiel Puig sustained a bruised left hip and thigh when he crashed into the right-field wall to make an outstanding and off-balanced catch.

Puig was down on the warning track for a bit after making the catch and throwing the ball into the infield, but stayed in the game and batted in the sixth inning, but came out as part of a double-switch in the bottom of the frame.

The injury came on the same day Puig was named the NL's Player and Rookie of the month and he is considered day-to-day.

The Rockies have only helped the Dodgers' rise up the NL West ladder, losing three straight and 11 of their past 15 games. Tyler Chatwood was tagged for six runs -- five earned -- over five innings in Wednesday's loss after having gone eight straight starts without allowing more than two runs.

"It's frustrating, I had a 4-1 lead in the fourth and I lost it," said Chatwood. "It's definitely frustrating, but it's a tough loss as a team."

Carlos Gonzalez hit his NL-leading 23rd homer of the season for the Rockies, who have now split eight meetings with the Dodgers this season.

Chris Capuano tries to rebound from a disastrous outing as he toes the rubber tonight for L.A.

Capuano returned from a stint on the disabled list to throw 11 straight scoreless innings over consecutive outings, but was hammered in a 16-1 loss to the visiting Philadelphia Phillies on Friday. The veteran lefty lasted just 3 2/3 innings and was charged with seven runs -- five earned -- on 10 hits and a walk.

"From the very beginning they had Chris' number. Nothing went right tonight," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "It was a tough game."

Capuano, 34, fell to 2-5 with a 4.72 ERA in 11 outings this season, all but two of those starts. He is 5-8 lifetime versus the Rockies, posting a 3.94 ERA in 15 games (14 starts).