Dodgers triumph to extend NL West lead

LOS ANGELES: Clayton Kershaw lowered his major league-leading ERA to 1.88 with eight innings of three-hit ball and had a two-run single, and the Los Angeles Dodgers increased their NL West lead to a season-best 7½ games Sunday night with an 8-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Mark Ellis had a homer and three RBIs to help Los Angeles improve to a major league-best 37-8 since June 22, a stretch that has dramatically turned around their season after they trailed the Arizona Diamondbacks by as many as 9½ games. The Dodgers are a season-best 17 games over .500.
The Rays lost their season-worst fifth in a row, but remained three games behind AL East-leading Boston following the Red Sox’s loss at Kansas City.
Kershaw (11-7) allowed two runs — one earned — and struck out eight to help the Dodgers complete their seventh series sweep of the season.
The Dodgers finished their interleague schedule 11-6, their first winning record against AL clubs since going 10-8 in 2004, and the Rays completed their interleague slate 12-8. Kershaw is 6-3 with a 2.67 ERA in 17 career interleague starts, striking out 116 batters in 111 1-3 innings.
Nationals 6 Phillies 0: In Washington, Stephen Strasburg pitched a four-hitter and struck out 10 in the first complete game of his career, Jayson Werth had his second straight three-hit game and Washington completed a three-game sweep of Philadelphia.
Strasburg (6-9) dominated the reeling Phillies for his first win since July 7 against San Diego. The Nationals had lost five straight games started by the right-hander.
The Phillies never had a runner in scoring position during their 11th straight road loss.
Braves 9 Marlins 4: In Atlanta, Freddie Freeman hit a three-run homer and Atlanta beat Miami after having its 14-game winning streak snapped Saturday.
B.J. Upton drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly and Chris Johnson hit a two-run double in the four-run seventh inning that broke open a tie game. Jason Heyward had four hits, including a run-scoring single in the eighth.
Evan Gattis had three, including his run-scoring double in the seventh.
Mike Minor (12-5) gave up four runs on six hits and one walk in seven innings, ended a streak of six straight starts with no more than two earned runs allowed.
Rockies 3 Pirates 2: In Denver, Nolan Arenado hit a go-ahead double in the seventh inning and Colorado beat Pittsburgh for a three-game sweep of the NL Central leaders.
The Pirates came to Coors Field this weekend with a five-game winning streak. They hold a three-game edge over St. Louis, and visit the Cardinals for a three-game series starting Tuesday night.