Kazmir pitches Dodgers to win over Cardinals
LOS ANGELES -- Scott Kazmir nearly went the distance on Saturday at Dodger Stadium, coming one out shy of a complete game to help the Los Angeles Dodgers notch a 5-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.
With one on and two out in the ninth inning, Kazmir (3-3) left one up in the zone to pinch-hitter Jeremy Hazelbaker, who sent it into the right-field stands for a two-run home run.
But Kazmir, who had lost three of his last five starts, still pitched well enough to earn his third win of the season and his first at Dodgers Stadium, giving up three runs on five hits in 8 2/3 innings.
Kenley Jansen struck out Aledmys Diaz looking to end the game and earn the one-out save, his 13th of the season and his second in as many nights.
The Dodgers' bullpen has now gone 20 innings without an earned run (one unearned).
Cardinals starter Carlos Martinez (4-3) struggled on seven days rest. In his first start since being removed after 3 1/3 innings with fatigue -- which was later diagnosed as a respiratory condition -- he lasted just five innings, giving up four runs on five hits and striking out two.
Corey Seager made it 5-1 with a two-out, solo home run in the seventh inning. Seager went 3-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI to extend his hitting streak to five games. It was Seager's fourth home run of the season and his second of the week.
It marked the first time all season in which the Dodgers have scored at least five runs in three straight games.
The Dodgers tacked on three runs in the fifth to go up 4-1. Chase Utley walked to load the bases with none out and Seager singled to right to score Carl Crawford.
Justin Turner's sacrifice fly drove in Kazmir and advanced Utley to third. Adrian Gonzalez delivered an RBI groundout on a 12-pitch at-bat to drive in Utley.
The Cardinals tied the game 1-1 in the fifth inning on Martinez's sacrifice fly. With one out and runners on the corners, Jedd Gyorko ran on Martinez's shallow fly ball to left field and beat the throw from Crawford.
Gonzalez put the Dodgers on the board in the fourth when he teed off on Martinez's first pitch of the inning, driving a shot into the left-field seats for his fourth home run of the season. The blast extended his hitting streak to five games and ended a 19-game homerless drought.
NOTES: C Yasmani Grandal, who has homered in his last two games, returned to the lineup replacing A.J. Ellis. ... LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (shoulder) will make his first rehab start Sunday at Class-A Rancho Cucamonga. Ryu, who had surgery in March 2015, will throw two innings and is expected to make four-to-five rehab starts in order to build up his pitch count. ... RHP Brandon McCarthy (Tommy John surgery) threw one simulated inning Saturday with INF Charlie Culberson batting. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he will throw one more simulated game before making a rehab start. ... The Cardinals placed RHP Seth Maness on the 15-day disabled list with right elbow inflammation. Maness was optioned to Triple-A Memphis on Friday. ... INF Jedd Gyorko returned to the lineup on Saturday playing second at second base. Gyorko had one at-bat as a pinch-hitter Friday, but hasn't started in four games. ... St. Louis RHP Carlos Martinez made his first start since exiting the May 6 game against Pittsburgh with fatigue after 3 1/3 innings. It was his shortest outing of the season and the first in which he failed to go at least six innings.