Clayton Kershaw drew closer to 3,000 career strikeouts in six crisp innings, Shohei Ohtani homered, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies 3-1 in Denver on Thursday.
Kershaw (4-0) struck out five to reach 2,997, three shy of becoming the 20th pitcher in major league history to reach the 3,000 milestone. He scattered two hits, walked one and left after throwing 69 pitches.
His next scheduled start is Wednesday at home against the Chicago White Sox.
Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernandez had two hits each and Tanner Scott picked up his 17th save for Los Angeles, which swept the three-game series and has won 10 straight over Colorado dating back to last season.
Brenton Doyle homered for the Rockies, who wrapped up a 1-5 homestand. Tyler Freeman went 0-for-3 and had his 12-game hitting streak stopped. He walked in the ninth but was doubled up after a Thairo Estrada flyout to center to end the game.
Doyle gave Colorado a 1-0 lead with a solo home run in the second inning, his sixth of the season and first since May 27. The Dodgers tied it in the third when Miguel Rojas doubled, Ohtani walked, both moved up on a wild pitch and Rojas scored on an infield single by Betts.
Austin Gomber worked around Tommy Edman’s leadoff double in the fifth inning to keep it 1-1 but was relieved to start the sixth. He allowed one run on four hits and struck out one in five innings of work.
Los Angeles went in front against reliever Angel Chivilli (1-3). Betts led off with a double, Will Smith walked and Freddie Freeman singled to right-center field to bring home Betts.
One out later, Juan Mejia struck out Andy Pages and got Edman to ground out to third to limit the damage.
Ohtani expanded the lead when he homered into the Dodgers’ bullpen in the seventh inning. It was his NL-leading 28th homer of the season and second in the three-game series.
— Field Level Media
