DENVER -- Given their limited success against Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, the Colorado Rockies faced a formidable challenge Friday night.

The task became more difficult when Tyler Chatwood's control betrayed him in the second inning, and the Dodgers strafed him for five runs. That was enough for Kershaw as Los Angeles evened the four-game series with a 6-2 victory.

Kershaw (6-2) improved his record in 35 career starts against the Rockies to 20-6 with a 3.13 ERA. He surpassed Hall of Famer Randy Johnson for the most career wins against the Rockies. In his past 11 starts against Colorado, Kershaw is 9-1 with a 2.36 ERA.

Coors Field can take its toll on any pitcher, and Kershaw has a 4.58 ERA there -- respectable but nowhere near his standards -- and is 9-4 in 19 starts.

He was far from his best in this outing, as Kershaw has been searching for his slider, and his vaunted curveball was less of a weapon in this outing.

"It wasn't pretty, and nothing was great about it by any means," Kershaw said. "Guys got some runs early for me. Yeah, it wasn't pretty, but I'll take the win any day of the week."

Thanks to two inning-ending, double-play grounders, Kershaw got 10 outs on ground balls while holding the Rockies to two runs in seven innings. Kershaw has allowed two or fewer runs in six of his eight starts and has a 2.43 ERA. He entered the game averaging 9.8 strikeouts every nine innings but finished with a season-low four strikeouts.

"The box score probably doesn't tell the whole story," Kershaw said. "There was a lot of bad pitching. I'll take it tonight, though."

Kershaw threw a modest 85 pitches -- one more than his lowest total of the season -- as did Chatwood (3-5). But Chatwood threw just 45 strikes.

Chatwood lasted a season-low 4 1/3 innings, due to a ruinous 35-pitch second inning, and tied his season high with four walks. Three came in the second and all those runners scored in the five-run rally that also included a triple and two doubles when the Dodgers batted around.

The odds then heavily favored Kershaw, who improved to 89-0 in the regular season when given at least four runs of support.

Chatwood's troubles that inning began when he walked two batters, and they scored on Chase Utley's one-out triple. Chatwood also walked Yasiel Puig and gave up consecutive two-out doubles to Joc Pederson and Corey Seager.

"Lost his command," Rockies manager Bud Black said. "The three walks, he couldn't get the ball in the zone. He was behind hitters and ultimately walked three. The two balls that really hurt him were the fastball up top to Utley that he drove in the (right-center) gap and the changeup up to Pederson."

Chris Rusin gave the Rockies 2 2/3 scoreless innings in relief of Chatwood, but left-hander Jake McGee yielded left-handed-hitting Cody Bellinger's team-leading seventh homer -- in his 16th career game -- in the eighth to make it 6-2. Bellinger drove a first-pitch curveball into the right-field stands.

"He doesn't scare off," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "He stays in there against a left-hander. We know McGee, he's heavy fastball. But for Cody to look fastball and adjust to the hanging breaker and elevate it pull side -- he put a good swing on it."

The seventh and last hit Kershaw allowed, a fifth-inning single by Charlie Blackmon, was Colorado's last base runner. Kershaw and three relivers retired the final 13 Rockies batters.

Blackmon tripled with one out in the third and scored on DJ LeMahieu's single to cut the Dodgers' lead to 5-1. But Kershaw got Nolan Arenado to ground into his second double play.

"I think he's always at his best when he gets guys on base," LeMahieu said. "We just don't have too many opportunities against him, and when we do, he's one of the toughest to come through on."

Kershaw walked Mark Reynolds to open the fourth and he scored on a single by Carlos Gonzalez to make it 5-2. Pat Valaika was safe on shortstop Seager's error and Gonzalez took third on the play. Valaika broke for second on a wild pitch and was ruled safe, but the call was overturned. Kershaw then got Dustin Garneau to fly out.

"It's just a credit to him to get through that start with not having his best stuff," Roberts said. "Seven innings -- there was a little bit of stress early on in the game for him, and I just felt it was time to go to the 'pen."

NOTES: Rockies OF Raimel Tapia pinch hit in the eighth and walked after being recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque, and RHP Jeff Hoffman was optioned to that club. ... Rockies C Tony Wolters (concussion) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Albuquerque and went 0-for-3 while catching six innings ... Rockies CF Charlie Blackmon's triple was his sixth of the season, one more than his 2016 total and three shy of his career-high nine triples in 2015. ... Dodgers LF Cody Bellinger made his 16th career start and batted fourth for the fifth straight game. ... Dodgers 1B Adrian Gonzalez (right elbow soreness) is expected to begin a two- or three-game rehab assignment next week.