Clayton Kershaw looks for more home success vs. Rockies

LOS ANGELES -- After losing consecutive home games for the first time this season, the Dodgers send Clayton Kershaw takes the mound on Friday night in prime position to do well. After all, he is facing Rockies at Dodger Stadium.

Kershaw in his career against Colorado at home is 7-2 with a 1.39 ERA, and has allowed zero runs in seven of his 12 career starts against them at Dodger Stadium. At home against the Rockies, Kershaw has 98 strikeouts and 28 walks in 77⅔ innings, including 55 strikeouts, just four walks, and one no-hitter in his last five home starts against them.

Kershaw enters Friday with the highest ERA of his career, at 4.26315789 tied exactly with his rookie season. Of course, we are talking only about seven starts for Kershaw, whose peripheral numbers remain quite strong. He's third in baseball in strikeout rate (30.3%), fourth in K-BB% (24.3%), 16th in FIP (2.89) and third in xFIP (2.21).

But that hasn't translated into wins in any of his last four starts. Maybe the Rockies are just what the doctor ordered.

The Dodgers offense will also need to score against Eddie Butler, which hasn't been a problem for them so far. In Butler's brief MLB career — this year and last year — the Dodgers have tagged him for 15 runs and 29 hits in 20⅓ innings, and he has more walks (11) than strikeouts (nine).

This is Butler's 10th career start, and his fifth against the Dodgers. The Rockies have lost all four previous games.

Game info

Time: 7:10 p.m. PT

TV: SportsNet LA