Dodgers 5, Cardinals 1
ST. LOUIS -- The Los Angeles Dodgers could have the National League's Rookie of the Year, and it might not be Yasiel Puig.
Hyun-Jin Ryu gave up just five hits and an unearned run in seven innings Thursday night as the Dodgers wrapped up a 7-1 road trip with a 5-1 defeat of St. Louis at sold-out Busch Stadium.
Ryu (11-3), a 26-year old South Korean who the Dodgers signed in December after he won 98 games in seven years in his country's professional league, fanned seven and walked none in his 110-pitch effort. It was his fifth straight win, dating back to July 5.
Rookie Carlos Martinez (0-1), who was recalled from Triple-A Memphis to make his first major league start, allowed seven hits and four runs over 4 2/3 innings and 98 pitches.
Los Angeles (64-50) extended its NL West lead over idle Arizona to 5 1/2 games, while the Cardinals (66-48) dropped four games behind Pittsburgh in the NL Central.
Los Angeles scored the game's first run in the third inning off Martinez on Adrian Gonzalez's sacrifice fly to left that plated Carl Crawford.
St. Louis evened the score in the fourth on a fluky play. With two outs and Matt Holliday at first, David Freese stroked a single to center that sent Holliday to third. Andre Ethier's throw toward second went over the head of shortstop Dee Gordon and off the bag, caroming into left field as Holliday scampered home.
The Dodgers quickly responded in the fifth, grabbing a 4-1 lead when catcher A.J. Ellis launched a three-run homer into their bullpen in left-center on a 3-1 fastball.
Martinez left after the next pitch, suffering what from the Cardinals said was cramping.
NOTES: St. Louis made a series of roster moves Thursday besides recalling Martinez. It also called up LHP Sam Freeman from Triple-A Memphis to give a fresh arm to the bullpen, while sending RHP Keith Butler and IF/OF Brock Peterson down to Memphis. ... The Cardinals are rearranging their rotation for the next two series. They plan to recall RHP Michael Wacha from Memphis to start Saturday night against the Chicago Cubs and will push ace Adam Wainwright back to Tuesday night's series opener against Pittsburgh, giving him three extra days of rest. ... RHP Shelby Miller, who was hit on the right elbow by Carl Crawford's liner on the second pitch of Wednesday night's game, will be skipped a turn but isn't going on the disabled list for now. ... After this weekend's home series with Tampa Bay, Los Angeles plays just 13 more games against winning teams, seven against Arizona. Three are against Boston and the other three are at Cincinnati.
