National League Game Summary - Houston at Los Angeles
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Chris Capuano outdueled J.A. Happ in the rubber match of a three-game series, giving the Dodgers a 5-1 win over the Astros.
"Cap was great today," Dodgers catcher Matt Treanor said. "He mixed it up and changed speeds. He's a smart guy making pitches when he has to."
Capuano (7-1) went seven strong, allowing only one run and two hits. The lefty struck out eight and walked two.
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"My location of pitches has been good," Capuano said. "I tried to keep the ball down. Matt and I are having fun. Our flow of the game is getting pretty easy. The way our guys are swinging the bats has been a bonus."
Jerry Hairston Jr. set a career high with five hits on the day, including a double, and knocked in a run.
Happ (3-4) struck out a career-high 10 Dodgers and gave up three runs (two earned) in 6 1/3 in the loss.
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"That's a first-place team over there," Happ said. "It's frustrating because I wanted to help win this series but we came a little short."
Jose Altuve led off the game with a triple, scoring when Jed Lowrie grounded out, but the Astros only managed one more hit.
The Dodgers' staff struck out 10 Astros and allowed only four base runners on the day.
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After falling behind early, the Dodgers quickly responded by tying the game in the second inning. Treanor and Dee Gordon delivered one-out singles to start the rally. After Capuano popped up his bunt attempt for the second out, Tony Gwynn Jr. evened up the score with a base hit.
After helping tie the game, Treanor put the Dodgers on top in the fourth inning with a home run to left-center field.
"I'm just trying to have quality at bats and make something happen," Treanor said.
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The Astros then helped the Dodgers expand their lead in the seventh. After Hairston delivered a one-out single, Andre Ethier reached base on Chris Johnson's two-base error. Fernando Rodriguez then replaced Happ and intentionally walked pinch-hitter James Loney to load the bases. Rodriguez then walked Bobby Abreu to force in a run and give the Dodgers and 3-1 lead.
Los Angeles put the game out of reach in the eighth. Gordon led off the inning with a base hit, stole second and scored when Gwynn lined a pitch to center for a single. Two batters later, Gwynn scored on Hairston's fifth hit of the game.
Game Notes
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After winning four straight, the Astros have dropped their last two games...The Dodgers have won eight of their last 10 games...Capuano improved to 5-0 at Dodger Stadium...Happ is 0-3 lifetime against the Dodgers...Houston has not won a series on the road since last September 12-14 in Philadelphia...The Astros fell to 1-7 in rubber games this season...The Dodgers improved to a major league-best 21-5 at home...The Dodgers are 10-4-2 in series this season...Capuano produced his eighth straight quality start...Last season, Capuano did not win his seventh game until June 29.