Braves nip Dodgers, avoid sweep

Atlanta, GA – Martin Prado's game-winning single in the game set 3 victory over Los Angeles.

The Braves and NL East-leading Phillies are the only two clubs in the majors which have yet to suffer a series sweep of three or more games in 2011.

Craig Kimbrel (4-2) earned the win with a scoreless top of the ninth. Randall Delgado started the game in place of an injured Jair Jurrjens and allowed three runs on four hits and three walks through five innings.

Blake Hawksworth (2-5) allowed the game-deciding run to take the loss. Clayton Kershaw lasted seven innings, allowing three runs -- one earned -- on eight hits and no walks while fanning 10 in the start for LA.

"He's pitched great for us this year. He's been great his whole career here and I'm happy the world gets to see it," Dodgers shortstop Dee Gordon said about Kershaw.

Matt Kemp's three-run homer accounted for all of the Dodgers' runs as Los Angeles had its season-high six-game win streak snapped.

After a one-out base hit by Jose Constanza, a wild pitch during Chipper Jones' pinch-hit at-bat moved Constanza to second. Jones was then intentionally walked. Michael Bourn came up next and sent a ball into the right-center field gap. It looked to be the game winner, but Andre Ethier made a diving grab on the ball to keep the game alive. But Prado followed with a liner down the left-field line that brought Constanza across the plate for the win.

Kershaw slapped a one-out single in the third for the Dodgers first hit of the game. After a wild pitch moved Kershaw to second, Gordon singled to put runners on the corners. Two batters later, Kemp hammered a ball over the left- field wall, giving Los Angeles a 3-0 lead.

Back-to-back one-out singles by Alex Gonzalez and Jack Wilson put runners on the corners in the seventh. Constanza followed with a grounder to third, but Aaron Miles' throwing error allowed Constanza to take first. A wild pitch moved the runners to second and third, and Brooks Conrad brought them both home with a pinch-hit, broken-bat single into shallow center field, tying the game at three.

"We haven't been swept in a three-game series all year. It wasn't looking good obviously with Kershaw on the mound, but we caught a break," said Jones. "They made a mistake on defense and Conrad capitalized. We were able to scrape one across there."

Game Notes

Atlanta activated pitcher Peter Moylan from the 60-day disabled list and purchased the contract of outfielder Antoan Richardson from Double-A Mississippi Sunday...Richardson appeared as a pinch-hitter in the fifth inning and hit a single for his first career hit...The Dodgers had their six-game road win streak snapped...The last time the Braves were swept in a three-game series was September 20-22, 2010, at Philadelphia.