Beckett outduels Waynewright

Josh Beckett continued pitching like he has been sipping from the fountain of youth, Justin Turner knocked in the lone run and Matt Kemp made a critical throw to home in the late innings last night as the Dodgers downed the Cards to pull within two games of San Francisco in the National League West.

Beckett and Waynewright went pitch for pitch, but it was the St. Louis ace who blinked when Turner drove a single to left to break the logjam and give Los Angeles a key victory.

Kemp's laser throw to the plate gunned down Allen Craig and kept the Cards from getting on the scoreboard.

During the game, Dodger manager Don Mattingly told pitching coach Rick Honeycutt that the team would get his pitcher a run but that would have to be enough.

Talk about premonitions.

The Dodgers were 9.5 games back of the Giants two weeks ago and have made another June run to get back in the hunt. Last year the Dodgers made a historic run starting in June that propelled them to the NL West title and a run into the playoffs.

Dodgers fans are hoping the June awakening in 2014 will lead to a similar result.