Tampa Bay @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 10, 2013 ) Tampa Bay 0, LA Dodgers 5

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been baseball's hottest team over the past two months but the only thing they have failed to do on a consistent basis during that span is provide runs for ace Clayton Kershaw. Los Angeles will get another chance Sunday night when Kershaw takes the mound for the finale of a three-game series against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays. The Dodgers have won four straight to improve to 19-3 since the All-Star break and are undefeated in their last 15 series (11-0-4).

Tampa Bay went down meekly and absorbed its season high-tying fourth consecutive defeat Saturday, which came on the heels of Friday's morale-sapping loss in which it blew a six-run lead and led 6-3 in the ninth inning. The Rays have dropped six of eight since their 21-4 July blitz and their pitching staff has been dented for 27 runs during the four-game skid. Jeremy Hellickson will look to rebound from a pair of sub-par outings when he opposes Kershaw.

TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, ESPN

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Jeremy Hellickson (10-5, 4.77 ERA) vs. Dodgers LH Clayton Kershaw (10-7, 1.91)

Hellickson had won six straight decisions before getting knocked around by Arizona in consecutive starts. Hellickson had surrendered only 10 runs during a seven-start unbeaten streak, but he allowed five runs in 4 2/3 innings in a 6-1 defeat on Tuesday and four runs in 4 1/3 innings in a 7-0 loss on July 31. Hellickson had won four straight road starts before losing to the Diamondbacks last week.

Kershaw has permitted only two runs over 14 innings in his last two turns but has nothing to show for it as the Dodgers have scored only once in that stretch. The 25-year-old southpaw has yielded two runs or fewer in 10 of his last 12 starts and has pitched at least seven innings nine times in that span. Kershaw is only 6-4 in 13 home starts despite a minuscule 1.59 ERA and .198 batting average against.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Dodgers have 14 shutouts to tie Pittsburgh for the National League lead.

2. Rays RHP Alex Cobb, who has been sidelined since June 15 with a concussion, could come off the disabled list and rejoin the rotation Thursday.

3. Dodgers SS Nick Punto is batting .500 (9-for-18) in August and 2B Skip Schumaker is 9-for-14 in his last three games after having a four-hit outing on Saturday.

PREDICTION: Dodgers 4, Rays 2