Wainwright keys Cardinals past Dodgers 8-2

[July 25, 2012]  ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Adam Wainwright's first two RBIs of the season helped knock out Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw in the sixth inning in a game that began in 103-degree heat as the St. Louis Cardinals ended Los Angeles' five-game winning streak with an 8-2 victory on Tuesday night.

Wainwright (8-10) allowed two runs and seven hits with seven strikeouts in 7 1-3 innings.

He was a career .223 hitter entering the year with five homers and 23 RBIs but was batting .079 (3-for-38) with three singles and 17 strikeouts this season.

Wainwright doubled to left-center with two outs in the fifth for St. Louis' first run, then scored the tying run on Rafael Furcal's single. After Daniel Descalso was intentionally walked to load the bases in the sixth, Wainwright walked on five pitches to give the Cardinals a two-run lead in a six-run sixth that put them up 8-2.

The Cardinals have won four of five and ended the Dodgers' eight-game winning streak, which had tied the franchise's best since moving to Los Angeles.

Kershaw (7-6) gave up eight runs and seven hits in 5 2-3 innings, the second-most runs ever allowed by the 2011 NL Cy Young winner. Kershaw, who entered with a 2.74 ERA that ranked among the NL leaders, gave up a career-worst nine runs in 4 2-3 innings on April 26, 2009 at Colorado.

Kershaw sailed through the first four innings in 51 pitches, then needed 53 against 14 batters to get his last five outs.

Kershaw allowed two runs in 14 innings the two starts before Tuesday and threw a shutout against the Cardinals in Los Angeles in May. The Dodgers gave him a vote of confidence after Wainwright's walk, leaving him in, but Kershaw lasted just one more hitter before departing after Furcal's two-run infield hit.

Wainwright (8-10) allowed two runs and seven hits with seven strikeouts in 7 1-3 innings, in addition to providing two of the biggest at-bats.

Descalso scored from second on Furcal's infield hit, fielded up the middle by shortstop Luis Cruz, and Allen Craig added a two-run double off Josh Lindblom.

Lance Berkman was taken out for a pinch-runner not long after getting hit by a pitch on the right knee in the third inning by a breaking ball. Berkman went to first base after visiting with a trainer, but jogged to second on a single by Descalso and was removed after a chat with third base coach Jose Oquendo.

Berkman batted seventh for the first time since 2010 and for just the 18th time in his career, bumped down in the order because David Freese entered 10-for-18 during a six-game streak combined with the fact he's just 4-for-22 with 22 RBIs since coming off the 15-day disabled list to start the second half without a rehab stint following right knee surgery in late May.

The Dodgers had scored only two runs in 28 2-3 innings against Wainwright in St. Louis before getting two in the fourth. Four straight batters reached safely with one out, and Juan Rivera and Cruz had an RBI apiece.

Wainwright is 3-1 with a 1.09 ERA at home against the Dodgers.

NOTES: A crew of three umpires began the game with Eric Cooper out sick and a replacement en route. There were no issues before John Tumpane arrived in time for the bottom of the third. ... Kyle Lohse (10-2, 2.71) is fifth in the NL in ERA entering Wednesday night's matchup against Aaron Harang (7-5, 3.46), who has lost his last four decisions against St. Louis. ... Wainwright threw first-pitch strikes to 23 of 30 hitters.

[Associated Press; By R.B. FALLSTROM]

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