Dodgers: Kuroda started the year fourth on the rotation depth chart but he's become the de facto ace. He showed why again on Sunday with eight dominant innings against the Pirates, pitching efficiently with a large lead. Unlike the other Dodgers starters, Kuroda is crafty enough to thrive even when he doesn't have all of his pitches working. And he doesn't cause his own problems, throwing enough strikes to post a strikeout-to-walk ratio of better than 3-to-1. This is the Kuroda the Dodgers thought they were signing, but his first two seasons were marred by injuries. He is 0-2 with a 7.00 ERA in three career starts against the Rockies.
 

Dodgers: Charlie Haeger's move to the bullpen was never exactly official, but that's the flexibility manager Joe Torre has with a knuckleballer. Haeger threw four innings of one-run ball Tuesday out of the 'pen, just his second relief appearance of the season and his first since his pseudo-demotion. It was enough to impress Torre to return Haeger to the fifth-starter's role he had out of Spring Training -- at least for one start. Haeger, 0-3 with a 6.56 ERA, has had trouble controlling his floater: he has 23 strikeouts to 17 walks, and a 1.84 WHIP in 23 1/3 innings.
 

Dodgers: Kershaw did not seem rattled after he managed just four outs and allowed seven earned runs in a start against the Brewers on Tuesday. Kershaw saw his ERA jump by nearly two runs to 4.99 ERA. His strikeout rate is good: 36 in 30 2/3 innings, but he's struggling to locate, with 24 walks. He hasn't fared well against the Rockies, who have a .260 batting average against him. Only the Phillies (.269), and, after Tuesday, the Brewers (.279) have hit him at a better clip in the NL.