MILWAUKEE—Freddie Freeman and Gavin Lux homered to back Julio Urias’ five solid innings, and the Los Angeles Dodgers blanked the Milwaukee Brewers 4–0 on Monday night, August 15.
A day after their 12-game winning streak ended with a 4–0 loss at Kansas City, the major league-best Dodgers got back on track, improving to 20–4 since the All-Star break.
Freeman hit a solo shot in the first inning off Freddy Peralta (4–3) and Lux added a two-run blast against Hoby Milner in the sixth.
Urías (13–6) worked out of trouble in the first three innings. He finished with six strikeouts while allowing four hits and two walks, improving to 10–0 with a 1.99 ERA over his last 11 starts.
Urías has a career 1.87 ERA after the All-Star break, the lowest in major league history by anyone who has pitched at least 180 innings after the Midsummer Classic.
He came through again for the Dodgers on a day when they announced two-time All-Star right-hander Walker Buehler will have season-ending elbow surgery.
The Brewers got the leadoff man on base in each of the first three innings against Urías. But they went 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position and were hitless after Rowdy Tellez’s one-out single in the fourth.
Milwaukee even struck out four times against reliever Chris Martin in the sixth inning.
Andrew McCutchen whiffed to start the inning but reached on a third-strike passed ball and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Martin then struck out Kolten Wong, Hunter Renfroe and Tellez.
Freeman’s homer was his 16th this season. He also doubled in the seventh.
Peralta allowed one run but lasted just four innings. He got out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth by striking out Cody Bellinger with his 92nd and final pitch.
Trainer’s Room
Dodgers: RHP Dustin May is scheduled to return from Tommy John surgery and make his season debut on Saturday against the Miami Marlins.Brewers: C Omar Narváez is expected to return for the weekend series with the Chicago Cubs. Narváez hasn’t played since Aug. 3 due to a left quadriceps injury.
RHP Trevor Rosenthal will make a rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday.