Dodgers nip Cardinals on Ramirez single

LOS ANGELES -- Manny Ramirez hit an RBI double in the eighth inning and the surging Los Angeles Dodgers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 1-0 on Tuesday night to take sole possession of first place in the NL West for the first time this season.

The Dodgers lead San Diego by a half-game. With their eighth win in 10 games, they're back in first for the first time since being tied May 22. Eight of their previous nine victories were by one run, including three by scores of 1-0.

Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter and Los Angeles' Hiroki Kuroda dueled through seven scoreless innings.

St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols was blanked for a second straight night and is hitless in eight at-bats in the series, a rematch of last year's first-round playoff won by the Dodgers in a three-game sweep. Matt Holliday singled in the ninth for his first hit in seven at-bats.

Rafael Furcal led off the eighth with a single against Trever Miller (0-1). Andre Ethier singled one out later and Ramirez greeted Kyle McClellan with his double into the right-field corner. Ethier had to stop at third because of fan interference. James Loney was intentionally walked to load the bases, but McClellan minimized the damage by striking out Casey Blake and Blake DeWitt.

Hong-Chih Kuo (2-1) pitched the eighth and Jonathan Broxton got three outs for his 15th save in 17 chances -- on his own bobblehead night.

Right fielder Ryan Ludwick kept the game scoreless in the seventh with a perfect one-hop throw to catcher Yadier Molina, who had an extra second to brace himself for the collision with DeWitt as he tried to score from second on Russell Martin's one-out single. DeWitt came in with both arms up, but Molina hung onto the ball as he was sent sprawling.

Carpenter gave up six hits, struck out five and walked one. Kuroda allowed four hits, struck out six and walked one.