This story was originally published by Dead Spin
Veteran left-hander Clayton Kershaw will look to continue his mastery in Milwaukee in his fourth start since coming off the injured list when the Los Angeles Dodgers open a four-game series against the Brewers on Monday night in a matchup of division leaders.
Kershaw (0-2, 4.38 ERA) will oppose right-hander Freddy Peralta (7-6, 4.02).
Milwaukee, which leads the National League Central by 7 1/2 games over St. Louis, saw its winning streak snapped at five games Sunday with a 4-3 loss to visiting Cincinnati.
Spencer Steer provided the winning run with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the seventh inning off Joe Ross, who covered the final three innings for Milwaukee. Joey Ortiz had a two-run homer for the Brewers, his eighth home run of the season and first since June 25.
The Dodgers, who lead the NL West by 3 1/2 games over Arizona and San Diego, completed a three-game sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 6-5 victory in 10 innings Sunday. Enrique Hernandez tied it with an RBI double in the bottom of the 10th, then Teoscar Hernandez singled in the winning run with two outs.
The 36-year-old Kershaw, who came off the 60-day injured list on July 25 after recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, allowed one run on five hits in 4 2/3 innings in his last outing on Tuesday but took the loss in a 6-2 setback against Philadelphia. He struck out five and walked none in an 81-pitch outing.
“I think it’s another good step in the right direction, and now I’ve just got to figure out how to maintain my pitch count,” Kershaw said afterward. “Obviously my pitch count will keep getting higher, but you’ve to find a way to get through at least five (innings) — hopefully, six or seven at some point.”
Kershaw is 8-5 with a 2.92 ERA in 18 career starts vs. the Brewers, including 2-0 last season. He is 5-1 with a 1.54 ERA in nine starts at Miller Park/American Family Field, allowing one run or less in seven outings.
The Dodgers are expected to activate Mookie Betts off the injured list (left-hand fracture) Monday. Betts, on the IL since June 17, is hitting .304 with 10 homers and 40 RBIs.
Peralta has been inconsistent as the Brewers’ No. 1 starter. He picked up the win Wednesday in his most recent outing despite allowing four runs on eight hits in five innings, including a two-run homer by Austin Riley, in an 8-5 victory at Atlanta.
“I feel good about today,” Peralta said afterward. “It wasn’t even a mistake, the pitch to Riley. I just have to tip my hat to him because it was the pitch I wanted … and I executed it. But he was probably sitting on it and did what he did best — put a good swing on it and hit a home run.
“But other than that, I feel good about everything.”
Peralta has struggled early with a first-inning ERA of 6.65 this season, giving up six homers.
Peralta is 2-1 with a 2.63 ERA in five career starts against the Dodgers, including a no-decision this season in early July, when he allowed three runs in four innings in a 5-3 Brewers loss.
Reliever Bryan Hudson, 4-1 with a 1.60 ERA, could come off the injured list (left oblique) on Monday.
–Field Level Media
