Clayton Kershaw allowed one run and four hits in seven innings to carry the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 3-1 win against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals in the second game of their three-game series on Tuesday night.
Kershaw (11-2), who struck out nine and walked one, has pitched at least six innings in all 20 starts this season.
Justin Turner had two hits, a walk and a run batted in for the Dodgers, who have won four in a row and seven of eight.
Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas (7-12) gave up two runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked one.
Dexter Fowler, who came in hitting .375 in his career against Kershaw, had two hits off the left-hander before finishing 2-for-4.
Kershaw gave up doubles to lead off the first and second innings, and a single to start the third, but St. Louis only took advantage in the second.
Matt Carpenter couldn't lay down a sacrifice bunt following a leadoff double by Paul DeJong in the second, but then grounded a two-out RBI single just inside the first-base bag for a 1-0 lead.
The Dodgers matched the Cardinals with a leadoff double from Corey Seager in their half of the second. He was still on second base with two outs when Kristopher Negron singled to tie the score at 1-1.
Joc Pederson opened the third with a single for Los Angeles. He moved to second on a groundout and scored on Turner's opposite-field double into the right-field corner for a 2-1 lead.
After Fowler led off the third with a single, Kershaw retired the next 13 batters before Carpenter walked with one out in the seventh. Pederson made a nice running catch in the right-center field gap off the bat of Andrew Knizner to end the inning.
Edwin Rios pinch-hit for Kershaw in the seventh and drew a walk off reliever Andrew Miller before eventually scoring on a two-out single by Max Muncy to make it 3-1.
Pedro Baez struck out DeJong with the bases loaded to end the eighth.
Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth for his 26th save.
--Field Level Media
St. Louis | LA Dodgers | |
Miles Mikolas | Player | Clayton Kershaw |
Loss | W/L | Win |
6.1 | IP | 7.0 |
7 | Strikeouts | 9 |
6 | Hits | 4 |
2.84 | ERA | 1.29 |
St. Louis | LA Dodgers | |
Dexter Fowler | Player | Justin Turner |
2 | Hits | 2 |
0 | RBI | 1 |
0 | HR | 0 |
3 | TB | 3 |
.500 | Avg | .667 |
Team | Hits | HR | TB | Avg | LOB | K | RBI | BB | SB | Errors |
St. Louis | 7 | 0 | 9 | .206 | 18 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
LA Dodgers | 7 | 0 | 9 | .226 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |