Los Angeles @ Chicago preview
Wrigley Field
Last Meeting ( Mar 18, 2010 ) Chi. Cubs 3, LA Dodgers 7
The Los Angeles Dodgers are the hottest team in baseball, and Clayton Kershaw is a big reason for their recent success.
Kershaw will be aiming for his fourth straight win when the Dodgers open up a three-game series today against the Chicago Cubs.
Just 22 years old, Kershaw had some wondering if he was regressing when he started the season slowly and showed no improvement with the command that regularly limited him to no more than six innings in 2009.
He hit rock bottom on May 4 against the Milwaukee Brewers, allowing seven runs on five hits and two walks in just 1 1/3 innings.
It was the shortest start of Kershaw’s young career and coincided with a stretch that saw Los Angeles drop 10 of 16 to fall to 13-17 – six games behind the San Diego Padres in the National League West.
But as Kershaw turned his season around so have the Dodgers, who ripped off a nine-game winning streak and won 12 of 13 to move into a tie at the top of the division. Los Angeles dropped its last game on Sunday, 6-2, against the Detroit Tigers to fall a game back, but it is certainly poised to continued its ascent.
Kershaw has dominated his past three starts, allowing a total of two runs in 22 1/3 innings to drop his ERA from 4.09 after the May 4 disaster down to 3.23. Two of those wins were against the Padres.
The left-hander lasted at least seven innings in each of the last three starts and struck out 23 against seven walks.
On the offensive side, the Dodgers have made most of their run without Andre Ethier, who leads the team with a .392 batting average, 11 homers and 38 RBIs. The team’s starting right fielder has been on the disabled list since May 15 with a fractured right pinkie.
The Cubs come in having won six of eight due to some strong pitching performances that have seen the staff yield less than three runs per contest.
Ryan Dempster will get the ball today for Chicago. With the rest of the staff performing well, Dempster has been left on the outside of that success – at least as far as wins are concerned.
The veteran right-hander has lost his last four decisions and has presided over five straight team setbacks. Dempster is carrying a 4.62 ERA over that stretch but has not been helped out much by his offense, with the Cubs averaging just four runs per game during his starts.