The Los Angeles Dodgers gave plenty of run support to Hiroki Kuroda for the third straight start, beating the St. Louis Cardinals 9-4 to complete a three-game sweep. Home runs by Juan Rivera and A.J. Ellis paced the offense, who scored 24 runs in the three-game series. For Kuroda, the runs were a welcome change of pace.
Kuroda received 24 runs in a 12-start stretch from June to August, and was just 2-9 despite a 2.54 ERA. The Dodgers have scored 24 runs in Kuroda's last three starts, all wins. Kuroda allowed three runs in seven innings for his 10th win of the season.
The home run for Ellis was the first of his major league career. Ellis went nearly three years without a home run in the majors or minors until hitting two in Triple A in July. Rivera had a double and a home run for the Dodgers. James Loney had two doubles and a single, and has 11 hits in his last 17 at-bats.
The Dodgers are off Thursday, but open a weekend series with Colorado Friday night at Dodger Stadium.
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