DENVER: Clayton Kershaw surrendered a career-high 11 hits in five shaky innings and got the win and Yasiel Puig scored the go-ahead run before leaving with a strained right knee as the surging Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies 10-8 on Monday.
Puig was called out for interference on the bases in the first inning. He then hurt his knee on an awkward slide into third base and gingerly jogged home on Hanley Ramirez’s sacrifice fly in the sixth, before being replaced in right field.
Andre Ethier had three hits, including a two-run homer, as the Dodgers won their fifth straight. The NL West leaders are 35-8 since the All-Star break.
Kershaw (14-8) gave up five runs as his ERA jumped from a league-leading 1.72 to 1.89. He was productive at the plate, lining a two-run single.
Pirates 5 Brewers 2: In Milwaukee, Neil Walker hit a three-run homer, Charlie Morton pitched seven strong innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat Milwaukee to retake the NL Central lead.
The Pirates moved one game ahead of St. Louis. Pittsburgh won the opener of a nine-game road trip.
Walker’s homer made it 5-1 in the seventh.
Morton (7-3) gave up seven hits and one earned run. He won his fourth straight decision.
Reds 7 Cardinals 2: In Cincinnati, Shin-Soo Choo and Joey Votto homered as Cincinnati roughed up Adam Wainwright for the second start in a row, leading Mat Latos and the Reds over the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a four-game series between the NL Central rivals.
Latos (14-5) gave up four hits in his first complete game of the year.
The Cardinals took two of three in St. Louis last week, the only loss coming when the Reds tagged Wainwright (15-9) for nine runs in a career-low two innings.
Phillies 3 Nationals 2: In Philadelphia, Carlos Ruiz hit a tiebreaking RBI single in Philadelphia’s two-run eighth inning, helping the Phillies get the victory.
Cesar Hernandez started the winning rally with a two-out walk against Tyler Clippard (6-3). He came around to score on Jimmy Rollins’ double. After Chase Utley was walked intentionally, Ruiz drove in Rollins with a single to left.
B.J. Rosenberg (1-0) recorded the final out of the eighth for the win and Jonathan Papelbon finished for his 24th save in 30 chances.
Braves 13 Mets 5: In Atlanta, Freddie Freeman homered, doubled and tied a career high with five RBIs, powering the Atlanta Braves past the New York Mets.
Freeman put the Braves ahead with a two-run double off Daisuke Matsuzaka in the first inning. Freeman made it 6-1 with a three-run homer a dozen rows deep into the right-field seats in the second.
Jordan Schafer got four hits and stole three bases for Atlanta before leaving with a lower back strain. Andrelton Simmons drove in three runs.
Padres 4 Giants 1: In San Diego, Ian Kennedy beat an NL West opponent for the first time in 12 starts this season, pitching the San Diego Padres past the San Francisco Giants.
Kennedy (6-9) gave up one run and five hits over six innings while striking out seven. He is 3-1 with a 4.04 ERA since the Padres got him in a trade with Arizona on July 31.
Kennedy improved to 1-5 with a 4.97 ERA in his starts against NL West teams this year.
Huston Street worked a spotless ninth to earn his 26th save in 27 chances.
Marlins 4 Cubs 3: In Chicago, Henderson Alvarez hit his first career home run and pitched six innings before exiting with a hamstring injury, and the Miami Marlins beat the Chicago Cubs.
Alvarez hit a three-run shot off Travis Wood in the second inning and also had a single and a sacrifice bunt.
Alvarez (3-3) allowed three runs and seven hits in six innings before he left with a tight right hamstring in his first career appearance against the Cubs.
Interleague
Blue Jays 4 Diamondbacks 1: In Phoenix, Esmil Rogers pitched 6 1-3 innings of one-hit ball and Edwin Encarnacion hit his 35th home run to lead the Toronto Blue Jays over Arizona.
Rogers (4-7) struck out five and walked one. Casey Janssen got his 27th save.
Diamondbacks starter Brandon McCarthy (3-9) pitched a five-hitter for his second complete game of the season.
Surging Dodgers flatten Rockies 10-8
