Gonzalez delivers clutch hit in 4-3 win

Adrian Gonzalez punched a two-out single to right field in the ninth inning tonight to pace the Dodgers to a 4-3 win over St. Louis, allowing Los Angeles to avoid a three-game sweep by the Cards.

Gonzalez’ game winner came on a night that Clayton Kershaw was mortal, allowing three runs on six hits, including a two-run homer to Peter Bourjos on a hanging slider.

 

The sixth inning dinger erased a 3-1 Dodgers’ lead and knotted the score at 3-3.

The Dodgers built the lead with some timely hitting from Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp, who provided clutch hits in the third inning to give the Dodgers the lead.

Hanley Ramirez was twice hit by pitches, once by starter Carlos Martinez and once by reliever Trevor Rosenthal.

Kershaw caused the St. Louis crowd to stir and boo when he plunked Matt Holliday on the thigh an inning later in apparent retaliation for Ramirez taking a 98 mph fastball in the shoulder.

Lest anyone forget, it was St. Louis pitcher Joe Kelly who plunked Ramirez in the ribs in the playoffs last year, knocking the Los Angeles shortstop out of the lineup and hurting the Dodgers’ chances of advancing in the playoffs.

Kershaw apparently remembered the recent history with St. Louis.

When Ramirez was hit in the wrist in the ninth inning Dodgers’ manager Don Mattingly angrily told the umpires Rosenthal should be ejected since the hit batter came after an umpire’s warning.

Ramirez left the game after being hit the second time.

Juan Uribe paced the Dodgers with three hits and Kemp, Ethier and Dee Gordon had a pair of hits apiece.

Miguel Rojas scored the eventual winning run on Gonzalez’ single. Rojas was running for A.J. Ellis, who started the ninth inning with a double to the gap in right center. Ellis, not swift of foot, stumbled into second base ahead of the throw after chugging around first base and steaming into second like only a catcher can.

Brian Wilson, J.P. Howell and Kenley Jansen pitched in relief and kept the Cards from getting on the scoreboard.

The win, coupled with a San Francisco loss at Miami, pushed the Dodgers back into a first-place tie with the Giants.