Dodgers 8, Rays 2
Clayton Kershaw allowed one earned run in eight stellar innings and helped himself with a two-run single as Los Angeles completed a three-game sweep in Tampa Bay's first visit to Dodger Stadium.
Mark Ellis slammed a two-run homer and had an RBI double among his three hits as the Dodgers extended their winning streak to five games and handed the sagging Rays their season-high fifth consecutive defeat. Los Angeles is a season-best 17 games above .500.
Kershaw (11-7) withstood four errors behind him to strike out eight and permit only three hits as Los Angeles improved to 20-3 since the All-Star break. Adrian Gonzalez contributed a two-run double as the first-place Dodgers hiked their lead to 7 1/2 games over Arizona in the National League West.
Jeremy Hellickson (10-6) lost his third consecutive start, lasting only three innings and allowing four runs on seven hits. Sam Fuld had an RBI triple in the fifth for Tampa Bay, which allowed 35 runs on its 0-5 road trip and dropped into a tie with Oakland for the American League's top wild-card slot while remaining three games behind AL East leader Boston.
Kershaw singled in a pair of runs in the second inning and scored on Ellis' double for a 3-0 lead - giving him as many runs to work with as he had in his previous three starts combined. A.J. Ellis added a sacrifice fly in the third and Gonzalez made it 6-0 with a two-run double up the alley in right-center in the fourth inning.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Kershaw's two-run single in the second inning gave him six RBIs on the season, setting a career high. ... Hellickson's three-inning stint marked the fourth time on the road trip and sixth time in nine games that a Rays starter has failed to go five innings. That followed a stretch in which Tampa Bay's starters went at least five innings in 32 straight outings. ... SS Dee Gordon made three of the four errors committed by Los Angeles, which will host the New York Mets in a three-game series beginning Monday. Tampa Bay has a day off before returning home to open a three-game series versus Seattle.