LOS ANGELES (AP) – Clayton Kershaw struck out nine in seven strong innings, Justin Turner had two hits and drove in the game-winning run and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-1 Tuesday night for their seventh win in eight games.
Kershaw (11-2) allowed only one run on four hits. The left-hander is unbeaten in 21 straight regular-season starts at Dodger Stadium dating to last season. He is 10-0 with a 2.28 earned run average during that span.
The bullpen pitched shutout ball in the final two innings, but not without some drama. The Cardinals had the bases loaded with two outs in the eighth, but Pedro Baez struck out DeJong.
Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth to earn his 26th save.
Turner doubled home Joc Pederson with what proved to be the go-ahead run in the third inning. Pederson led off the inning with a single. He then preserved the lead with two outs in the seventh when he made a running catch in right field to rob Andrew Knizner of a possible extra-base hit and potential tying RBI.
St. Louis scored first when Paul DeJong led off the second inning with a double to center and scored on Matt Carpenter’s single.
Los Angeles tied it in the bottom of the second when Kristopher Negron’s bloop single to center drove in Corey Seager, who started off the frame with a double.
Los Angeles extended its lead to 3-1 in the seventh when Max Muncy’s single brought in Edwin Rios.
Miles Mikolas (7-12) went 6 2/3 innings and surrendered two runs on six hits with seven strikeouts. The Cardinals have dropped four straight and five of seven.
