Denver, CO – Clayton Kershaw twirled a four-hit shutout and the streaking Los Angeles Dodgers erupted for 14 hits in their 8-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies in the opener of a three-game NL West series.
Not only did the Rockies lose, but Michael Cuddyer had his franchise-record 27-game hitting streak come to an end in the club's fifth setback in seven games.
"It was pretty cool," Cuddyer said of his streak. "It's something to be proud of, for sure."
Kershaw (7-5) did not allow an extra-base hit and struck out seven with no walks in his second shutout of the season and seventh of his career. The left- handed ace, who lowered his ERA to a sparking 1.93, got plenty of support as the Dodgers cruised to their ninth win in their last 10 games.
Yasiel Puig continued his meteoric rise to stardom with three more hits, including a solo home run. The standout Cuban was coming off a historic June that saw him record 44 hits, the second most a rookie has posted in his first calendar month behind the 48 Joe DiMaggio recorded in May, 1936.
Adrian Gonzalez added a two-run homer, Juan Uribe knocked in a pair of runs and Hanley Ramirez and A.J. Ellis each had two hits and scored twice in the rout.
"We're in good shape, we just have to continue to keep working," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said.
Roy Oswalt (0-3) has not produced any positive results in his first three outings of the season. The 35-year-old righty's ERA rose to 7.88 after being touched for five runs on nine hits over five innings.
The Dodgers played small-ball in the second inning, with Ramirez leading off with a double, advancing to third on Andre Ethier's base hit and scoring on a Matt Kemp groundout.
Uribe added a run-scoring hit up the middle later in the frame and did the same in the fourth after Gonzalez had given the Dodgers a 4-0 lead with a two- run blast into the right-field seats an inning earlier.
Adam Ottavino hung a 1-2 slider to Puig in the seventh, and the 22-year-old sensation powered it over the center-field wall for his eighth home run in his 27th game.
Run-scoring hits from Mark Ellis and Ethier in the eighth and ninth frames, respectively, capped the Dodgers' scoring.
Kershaw set down the side in the ninth, the last out coming on Cuddyer's routine fly ball to right field. He threw 79 of his 108 pitches for strikes.
Game Notes
Kershaw has 11 career complete games, including three this year ... Cuddyer also had his 46-game on-base streak snapped ... Before the game, the Rockies placed outfielder Dexter Fowler on the 15-day disabled list with a right hand bone bruise and activated pitcher Edgmer Escalona from the 15-day DL. Escalona, who had been out since early June with right elbow inflammation, gave up one run in one inning of work ... The Dodgers acquired reliever Carlos Marmol and cash considerations on Tuesday from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for right-hander Matt Guerrier ... Ramirez is riding a 13-game hitting streak.
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