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Hiroki Kuroda Looks For Run Support, First Win Against Rockies

"Leonard Nimoy swore to me that this would work."
"Leonard Nimoy swore to me that this would work."

The Dodgers open a weekend series at Coors Field on Friday night, the first of two straight weekend matchups against the Rockies. Hiroki Kuroda starts for the Dodgers in the opener, looking for some run support.

Kuroda has had seven starts this season in which he has allowed zero runs. The only two pitchers in baseball with more starts giving up no runs are Clayton Kershaw and Cliff Lee, with eight each. In those games, Kuroda is 6-0 and the Dodgers have won all seven contests.

In Kuroda's 17 other starts, he has a 4.32 ERA. Below average, yes, but not terrible. Kuroda has averaged exactly six innings per start in those games. The Dodgers are 2-15 in those games, and Kuroda himself is 2-14. The Dodgers have scored 51 runs in Kuroda's 24 starts with him in the game, an average of 2.13 per start.

Kuroda has made three career starts at Coors Field, and has given up five earned runs in each game, for a total of 17 runs (15 earned) in just over 16 innings, with two home runs, three walks, and 11 strikeouts. Kuroda has never beaten the Rockies in nine career starts (he is 0-5, though the Dodgers have won three of the nine games).

Jason Hammel has a 7.23 ERA in eight starts since the beginning of July with 22 walks and 25 strikeouts in 42 innings. He has allowed exactly six runs in each of his last three starts at Coors Field. He has faced the Dodgers three times this season and has allowed 14 runs (13 earned) in just under 15 innings, with eight walks and four strikeouts.

Lineups

Andre Ethier sits.

Dodgers   Rockies
LF
Gwynn

CF
Fowler
SS
Sellers

3B
Nelson
3B
Miles

RF
Gonzalez
CF
Kemp

SS
Tulowitzki
RF
Rivera
1B
Helton
1B
Loney

LF
Smith
C
Barajas
C
Alfonzo
2B
Carroll
2B
Ellis
P
Kuroda

P
Hammel

Notes

Game Time: 5:40 p.m.

TV: Prime Ticket

MLB Gameday