August 6, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) pitches the ball during the third inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports Veteran left-hander Clayton Kershaw will continue his dominance in Milwaukee, making his fourth start since returning from injury as the Los Angeles Dodgers open a four-game series with the Brewers on Monday night. This game is a showdown of the division leaders.
Kershaw (0-2, 4.38 ERA) will face right-hander Freddy Peralta (7-6, 4.02).
Milwaukee, 7.5 games ahead of St. Louis in the National League Central, had its five-game winning streak snapped with a 4-3 loss to visiting Cincinnati on Sunday.
Spencer Steer hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the seventh inning off Joe Ross, who had covered the final three innings for Milwaukee, to win the game. Joey Ortiz hit a two-run homer for the Brewers, his eighth of the season and first since June 25.
The Dodgers, who lead Arizona and San Diego by 3 1/2 games in the NL West, completed a three-game sweep Sunday with a 6-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates in 10 innings. Enrique Hernandez tied the game with an RBI double in the bottom of the 10th inning, then Teoscar Hernandez’s two-out single led to the winning run.
Kershaw, 36, who came off the 60-day injured list on July 25 as he recovers from offseason shoulder surgery, allowed one run on five hits in 4 2/3 innings in his final game on Tuesday. , but lost 6-2 to Philadelphia. In 81 games, he struck out five and allowed no bases.
“I think it’s another step in the right direction, now I have to figure out how to keep my pitch numbers up,” Kershaw said afterward. “Obviously, my pitch count is going to keep going up, but you’ve got to find a way to get through at least five (innings) — and hopefully six or seven innings at some point.”
Kershaw is 8-5 with a 2.92 ERA in 18 career starts against the Brewers, including a 2-0 mark last season. He went 5-1 with a 1.54 ERA in nine games at Miller Park/American Family Park, allowing runs or fewer in seven games.
The Dodgers are expected to take Mookie Betts off the injured list (fractured left hand) on Monday. Betts has been playing at Illinois since June 17, hitting .304 with 10 home runs and 40 RBIs.
Peralta has been inconsistent as the Brewers’ No. 1 starter. Despite allowing four runs on eight hits in five innings, including a two-run homer by Austin Riley, he got the win in his most recent game in Wednesday’s 8-5 victory over Atlanta. .
“I feel good today,” Peralta said afterward. “It wasn’t even a mistake, Riley’s pitch. I just gotta tip my hat to him because it was the pitch I wanted…I executed it. But he probably sat on it and did what he did The best thing about it – take a good swing and hit a home run.
“But other than that, I feel good about everything.”
Peralta had a poor start to the season with an ERA of 6.65 in the first inning, giving up 6 home runs.
Peralta has a 2-1 record with a 2.63 ERA in five career starts against the Dodgers, including a no-decision in early July of this season in a 5-3 loss to the Brewers In the team’s game, they allowed three points in four innings.
Reliever Bryan Hudson, 4-1 with a 1.60 ERA, will likely come off the injured list on Monday (left slash).
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