Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) – James Loney drove in two runs and the Los Angeles Dodgers took a 5-4 win over the Milwaukee Brewers in the second of a three-game series.
Andre Ethier hit a solo home run while Matt Kemp drove in one for the Dodgers, who have won three of their last four. Hiroki Kuroda (9-11) went seven innings in the win as he was charged with four runs on seven hits with six strikeouts.
The big news for Los Angeles came before the game as the Los Angeles Times reported that the team placed outfielder Manny Ramirez on waivers. He is in the final season of a two-year contract with a salary of $20 million this season. He went 2-for-2 in the game with two doubles, two walks, an RBI and a run scored.
Corey Hart, Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder and Casey McGehee each drove in a run for the Brewers, who have dropped three straight. Randy Wolf (10-10) went five innings in the start and was charged with four runs on seven hits with three walks and four strikeouts.
The Dodgers drew first blood when Ethier hit a one-out, solo homer to right- center in the third.
The Brewers, though, surged ahead in the fourth. Rickie Weeks led off with a single and came home when Hart followed with a double. Braun’s two-bagger scored Hart and a sacrifice fly from McGehee later in the inning made it a 3-1 game.
Los Angeles answered with three of its own in the fifth to go back in front. With men on first and third and one out, Kemp scored Ryan Theriot with a sacrifice fly. Casey Blake followed with a double and Loney’s single to left plated both baserunners for a 4-3 lead.
The Dodgers made it a 5-3 game in the sixth as Ramirez’s double scored Theriot, who had reached base on a double earlier in the frame.
Milwaukee got the run back in the bottom of the inning, though, as Fielder’s single to left scored Weeks, who led off with a single and stole second before heading to third on a groundout from Braun.
Kuroda put the Brewers down in order in the seventh while Jonathan Broxton did the same in the eighth.
Ronald Belisario, George Sherrill and Octavio Dotel each retired a batter in the ninth, with Dotel getting his 22nd save of the season.
Kuroda had been 0-3 in his previous five starts and improved to 2-0 in three games against Milwaukee…Los Angeles has taken three of five from Milwaukee this season…Wolf had won his previous three starts and fell to 3-3 in 10 encounters with Los Angeles.