Dodgers 5, Brewers 1
Clayton Kershaw breezed through eight innings and Adrian Gonzalez drove in a pair as visiting Los Angeles avoided a three-game sweep and maintained the best record in the National League.
A.J. Ellis homered and Matt Kemp added an RBI single for the Dodgers, who moved 4 1/2 games ahead of the San Francisco Giants in the NL West and pulled 1 1/2 games ahead of the Brewers for the top NL record. Kershaw (14-2) added an RBI single while scattering one run on six hits and striking out six to win his 11th straight decision.
Jimmy Nelson (2-3) surrendered two runs on eight hits in six innings and Ryan Braun singled in a run among two hits for Milwaukee, which leads the St. Louis Cardinals by two games in the NL Central. Nelson and Rickie Weeks both doubled against Kershaw.
Kershaw walked Carlos Gomez leading off the first and he stole second before coming in on Braun’s single to give the Brewers a quick lead. The Dodgers loaded the bases in the third on two singles and a hit-by-pitch before Gonzalez’s sacrifice fly plated Kershaw with the tying run.
Nelson stranded the bases loaded in the fourth but could not get out of a jam in the fifth when Gonzalez doubled and scored on Kemp’s single. Gonzalez’s RBI double in the seventh made it 3-1 and Los Angeles tacked on two more runs in the eighth on Ellis’ solo shot and Kershaw’s single to put it away.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Gonzalez went 7-for-10 with two home runs, five RBIs and three runs scored in the three-game series. … The Dodgers placed SS Hanley Ramirez (right oblique) on the 15-day DL and acquired RHP Kevin Correia from the Minnesota Twins. … Los Angeles continues its road trip at the Atlanta Braves on Monday while the Brewers open a seven-game trip at the Chicago Cubs.