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Dodgers Still 2 Games Back From Giants As They Fall 3-1 Cardinals

 LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com/AP) -- Jhonny Peralta hit a tiebreaking two-run double and Yadier Molina homered, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night.

Cardinals right-hander Carlos Martinez couldn't make it out of the fifth inning despite the two-run lead. Manager Mike Matheny pulled him after a one-out single by Dee Gordon and a walk to Yasiel Puig, but Seth Maness (3-2) retired Adrian Gonzalez on a double-play grounder. Maness allowed one hit through 2 1-3 innings with two strikeouts.

Maness got a huge assist from center fielder Jon Jay, who robbed Juan Uribe of a potential RBI double in the sixth when he sprinted toward the warning track and made a diving backhanded grab. Pat Neshek retired Matt Kemp on a grounder with a runner at second in the eighth, and Trevor Rosenthal got three outs for his 24th save in 27 chances.

Martinez allowed a run and six hits, struck out four and walked three in his fourth major league start.

Hyun-Jin Ryu (9-4) gave up three runs and nine hits in seven innings with seven strikeouts and one walk.

Peralta, who struck out his first two times up, snapped a 1-1 tie in the fifth with a two-out drive to the fence in right-center that scored Matt Carpenter and Matt Holliday. That gave the shortstop six RBIs in his last six games.

The Dodgers opened the scoring in the second on Gordon's RBI single.

Molina tied it in the fourth with his seventh homer, lining a 1-0 pitch off the left field pole. Ryu has allowed a home run in four of his last five starts after yielding just two in his first 10 outings.

Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis, not the fleetest by any means -- and just two weeks off the disabled list after arthroscopic knee surgery -- tried to stretch a single into a double in the fourth. It took a great play by right fielder Allen Craig, who cut the ball off while skidding across the foul line and threw a perfect strike to Peralta.

With the Giants losing against the Reds 6-2, the Dodgers remain two games behind the first-place Giants.

NOTES: The Dodgers have yet to win more than three straight games. This was their sixth attempt. ... Scott Van Slyke was ejected for the first time in 130 games by second base umpire Chad Fairchild after Molina threw him out trying to steal in the sixth. ... Dodgers starting pitchers have issued fewer than three walks in 31 consecutive games, matching the 1990 Pittsburgh Pirates for the longest such streak by an NL club since 1914. Ryu hasn't walked more than two batters in any of his last 12 outings. ... St. Louis has allowed a major league-low 26 home runs on the road. ... Seven of Molina's last eight homers have been solo shots.

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