Kershaw, Dodgers down Rockies
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Howie Kendrick smacked a two-run homer among his two hits and three RBI as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Colorado Rockies 7-3 in the opener of a three-game set.
Adrian Gonzalez tallied three hits, three runs scored and a pair of RBI for the Dodgers, who have won five straight games.
Clayton Kershaw (1-1) picked up his first win of the season, striking out 12 and surrendering three runs -- one earned -- on six hits and a walk over six innings.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Clayton still is searching," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "He had a bunch of punchouts tonight, but he doesn't seem like himself yet."
Kyle Kendrick (1-2) surrendered six runs on seven hits and four walks over 4 2/3 frames for Colorado, which had its three-game winning streak snapped.
"I left a pitch up to Howie and I made a couple of mistakes," said Kendrick. "My command wasn't there. I was just trying to be too fine."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Charlie Blackmon cracked a two-run homer and Troy Tulowitzki added a solo shot in defeat.
Blackmon's two-run shot to right in the top of the fifth cut the Rockies' deficit to 4-3, but the Dodgers answered with two runs in the bottom half and added another in the seventh to pull away for good.
Carl Crawford hit a one-out single and Gonzalez followed by banging a double to right to score him. Howie Kendrick plated Gonzalez with a two-bagger to right.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Andre Ethier's sacrifice fly in the seventh made it 7-3.
Earlier, the Dodgers jumped out to a nice cushion after pushing across three runs in the opening frame.
Jimmy Rollins walked to start the first, stole second during Crawford's at-bat -- he later popped out -- and came home on a Gonzalez double to center. Howie Kendrick then blasted a first pitch sinker into the seats in left.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tulowitzki led off the fourth with his shot to left, but the Dodgers got the run back in the home half when Yasmani Grandal scored on a wild pitch.
Game Notes
Kershaw held a 3-0 mark and 0.41 ERA versus the Rockies last season, no- hitting them the last time he faced them at Dodger Stadium ... Gonzalez has 11 RBI so far this season ... The Dodgers were 4-for-9 with runners in scoring position, while Colorado finished 2-for-5.