Dodgers vs. Phillies: Clayton Kershaw goes for 10 straight

The Dodgers go for a rare 10-game winning streak on Saturday night against the Phillies, and will do so with ace Clayton Kershaw on the mound.

Among all teams that he has faced at least four times, Kershaw's 4.31 career ERA against the Phillies is the highest, and they are the only such team he hasn't beaten. Kershaw is 0-4 in eight starts against the Phillies, including 0-2 with a 5.96 ERA, his second worst ERA at any park.

Only at Shea Stadium has Kershaw been worse, where his 9.82 ERA was a result of his second major league game, in 2008.

I realizing this is cherry picking endpoints but Kershaw's last 73 starts, dating back to July 7, 2011, have produced a 2.02 ERA. With at least 7⅓ scoreless innings on Saturday night that ERA, over 74 starts, will dip below 2.00.

A win would also push the Dodgers' winning streak to 10 games, something they have only done seven times since moving to Los Angeles. The last winning streak that long came in 2006, when the Dodgers won 11 straight. That 2006 streak was part of a stretch that saw 17 wins in 18 games directly following 13 losses in 14 games.

Before 2013 that was the craziest Dodgers stretch of our lifetimes but this season is breaking new ground in the jaw-dropping department.

Notes

The Dodgers have won six of their last seven games in Philadelphia.

The Dodgers have beaten the Phillies in 4 of 5 games this season but have been outscored 24-21, thanks to a certain 16-1 loss.

I was a guest earlier this week on the great Productive Outs podcast, with Ian Miller and Riley Breckinridge.

I also talked Dodgers on The Phil Naessens Show:

Game info

Time: 4:05 p.m.

TV: KCAL, MLB Network

MLB Gameday