Dodgers 5, Cubs 2
Andre Ethier extended his hitting streak to 28 games and the Los Angeles Dodgers broke it open in the fifth inning with a two-run double by rookie Jerry Sands to earn a 5-2 win over the visiting Chicago Cubs on Monday.
Ethier, who finished 1-for-4, was hitless in his first two at-bats before he poked a groundball deep in the hole between shortstop and third base for an infield hit in the fifth. The hit scored Sands, who had driven in Clayton Kershaw and Jamey Carroll with his gapper. Ethier's hit put Los Angeles ahead 5-1.
That was enough offense as Kershaw (3-3) allowed two runs in seven innings and outpitched Chicago spot starter James Russell (1-4), who yielded five runs in 4 2/3 innings to drop his third straight decision.
Chicago's Alfonso Soriano hit his National League-leading 11th home run in the seventh to cut the lead to 5-2, and the Cubs had runners on first and third with one out later in the inning, but Kershaw struck out Starlin Castro and induced a flyball from Darwin Barney.
Jonathan Broxton pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his seventh save.