Puig leads Dodgers past Cubs, 6-4

[August 02, 2013]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Yasiel Puig hit a long home run and scored two runs to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 6-4 win over the Chicago Cubs on Thursday.

Hanley Ramirez and Jerry Hairston each drove in two runs for the Dodgers, who got a win a night after having a four-game winning streak snapped and improved their record to 11-2 since the All-Star break.

Junior Lake and Anthony Rizzo each homered twice for the Cubs, who lost for the fourth time in five games.

Dodgers starter Ricky Nolasco (7-9) allowed three long solo home runs and lasted just five innings, but that was enough to get the win. Kenley Jansen pitched a perfect ninth to earn his 15th save.

The Cubs took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on back-to-back solo homers from Lake and Rizzo.

The Dodgers tied it in the top of the third inning on a two-run double by Ramirez, scoring Puig and Adrian Gonzalez.

The Cubs reclaimed a 3-2 lead in the bottom half on another solo homer by Lake.

Cubs starter Chris Rusin (1-1) was sharp in the fourth and fifth innings, but appeared to get tired in the sixth. He was pulled after allowing a single and a walk to the first two batters.

One out later, Puig doubled to send runners to second and third and Gonzalez dropped a soft liner into center to make it 5-3. Cubs center fielder David DeJesus threw out Puig at the plate with a perfect one-hop throw.

Rizzo added another solo homer in the eighth, his second two-homer game of the season, to pull the Cubs within a run, but Puig answered with a long solo blast in the top of the ninth.

NOTES: RHP Carlos Marmol returned to Wrigley Field for the first time since being traded to the Dodgers on July 2. "I feel great wearing the uniform," he said before the game. "I'm in first place right now. I'm so happy." ... The Dodgers had a night game in Los Angeles on Wednesday, so they didn't arrive at their Chicago hotel until 7:30 a.m. on Thursday. "That's the way travel with TV in the game today," manager Don Mattingly said. "There's no reason to complain about it. I just have to try to make sure the guys are rested." ... The Cubs announced the signing of 16-year-old OF Eloy Jimenez from the Dominican Republic. Jimenez was considered one of the best international prospects available this season. ... Dodgers LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (9-3) faces LHP Travis Wood (7-7) in the second game of the series.

[Associated Press; By JOHN JACKSON]

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