Dodgers fend off Cards' sweep bid

ST. LOUIS -- Matt Kemp hit a two-run single in the 10th inning for his third hit, helping the Los Angeles Dodgers end a season-worst four-game losing streak with a 5-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night.

Casey Blake had four hits and is 7 for 10 over the last two games for Los Angeles, which avoided a four-game sweep. The Dodgers lead the NL in hitting and are second in scoring with an average of nearly five runs, and finally got rolling after totaling three runs on 33 hits in the first three games.

The Dodgers were 4 for 11 with runners in scoring position after going 4 for 25 in the first three games. James McDonald (3-2) worked a perfect ninth and Jonathan Broxton, one strike away from ending the Dodgers' slump Wednesday, finished for his 24th save in 27 chances.

Earlier in the day, the Dodgers added depth to their bullpen by acquiring former All-Star closer George Sherrill from the Baltimore Orioles for two Class AA players.

Manny Ramirez was 3 for 18 with no RBIs in the series and he's 4 for 26 in his last six games with no RBIs. Boos rained down on him throughout the game, just as they did in the first three games before the New York Times reported Thursday that he had tested positive for steroids in 2003.

The Dodgers' Matt Kemp follows his two-run RBI single as Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina watches during the 10th inning Thursday in St. Louis. The Dodgers beat the Cardinals 5-3 in 10 innings to avoid the four-game series sweep. (Tom Gannam ~ Associated Press)

Matt Holliday became the lone Cardinals player to reach base safely two or more times in his first seven games, getting an RBI single and his first homer for his new team in the first two at-bats. Holliday is batting .520 (13 for 25) since coming from the Athletics and is a career .396 hitter at 4-year-old Busch Stadium with six homers and 10 RBIs.

Holliday is the first Cardinals player since Bo Hart in 2003 to hit safely in his first seven games.

Andre Ethier walked with one out against Dennys Reyes (0-2), Blake singled and the runners advanced on a wild pitch. With two outs, Kemp lined a single off Todd Wellemeyer, moved to the bullpen after his last start and making only his second relief appearance of the season.

Consecutive intentional walks to Albert Pujols and Holliday helped the Dodgers escape trouble in the eighth. Pujols drew his 35th of the season, breaking his own franchise record set last year, but the Cardinals left the bases loaded when lefty Hong-Chi Kuo struck out Rick Ankiel on three pitches.

Four straight Dodgers reached against Kyle McClellan with one out in the seventh. Pinch-hitter Juan Pierre had an infield hit and scored from first on Rafael Furcal's two-run double that put Los Angeles ahead 3-2.

Los Angeles Dodgers' Manny Ramirez, right, reacts to popping the ball up as St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina looks on in the seventh inning of a baseball game, Thursday, July 30, 2009, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Tom Gannam)

Ankiel homered leading off the eighth, ending Guillermo Mota's scoreless streak at 20 1/3 innings and tying it at 3-3.

Both starters were pulled after six innings. Kyle Lohse allowed a run on five hits in the best of four starts since missing a month with a forearm injury for St. Louis, departing with a one-run lead. Hiroki Kuroda gave up two runs on four hits for the Dodgers.