Dodgers 3, Cardinals 2
Zack Greinke worked 6 1/3 strong innings and added an RBI single in his 100th career win as visiting Los Angeles held off St. Louis to earn its fifth straight victory and win its 15th consecutive road game, the longest streak in the National League since the 1957 Cincinnati Reds also won 15 straight.
Greinke (9-3) allowed two runs and scattered eight hits to outduel Adam Wainwright (13-7), who squandered his third opportunity to grab a National League-best 14th win. Wainwright was charged with three runs on seven hits in seven frames.
Andre Ethier and A.J. Ellis each drove in a run and Yasiel Puig doubled and scored for the Dodgers, who increased their NL West lead to six games over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Cardinals slipped two games behind the first-place Pittsburgh Pirates in the NL Central.
St. Louis took an early lead when Matt Carpenter doubled and came in on Carlos Beltran’s fielder’s choice grounder in the first. Puig, whose error helped Carpenter reach third base on that first run, doubled and scored the go-ahead run in the fourth after Ethier’s single had tied the game at 1.
Greinke added a key insurance run with a single to center in the sixth before Allen Craig, who was cut down at the plate in the fifth, knocked in a run in the seventh to cut it to 3-2. Ronald Belisario got the final two outs of the seventh and Paco Rodriguez worked two perfect innings to pick up his second save.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Puig appeared frustrated with teammate Adrian Gonzalez in the fourth when the slow-footed first baseman failed to score from first on Puig’s double to the gap in right-center. The two exchanged words on the field and again in the dugout after the inning. … Los Angeles SS Hanley Ramirez (shoulder) got the day off after leaving Sunday’s contest. He is day-to-day. ... Carpenter had two hits for the second straight game.