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Brewers go with Gallardo in third test with L.A.

May 30, 2012 - 3:01 PM (Sports Network) - Yovani Gallardo has been very effective against most teams this season, but is still searching for his first career victory against the Dodgers.

He'll look to pick up that win tonight and try to pitch the Milwaukee Brewers to only their second road series victory of the season in the third contest of a four-game series against Los Angeles and its ace Clayton Kershaw.

Gallardo has given up more than three runs in just two of his 10 starts this season and both came in losses to the Cardinals. He has allowed a combined 14 runs in just 5 2/3 frames against the division rival, putting a damper on what has been a decent season so far.

The right-hander improved to 3-4 with a 4.19 earned run average after beating the hosting Diamondbacks on Friday, yielding a run over 7 1/3 innings on five hits and three walks. Though he wasn't at his sharpest, Gallardo still turned in his longest outing in five starts.

"We really played well today," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said following the 7-1 win. "I thought Gallardo pitched well. His command wasn't as sharp as he is at times. The double plays really picked him up, kept his pitch count down and got him out of some trouble. He did throw the ball really well, but I have seen him a little better at command."

Gallardo faced the Dodgers at home back on April 17 and did not get a decision in his team's 5-4 victory despite seven innings of two-run ball. He struck out seven, but exited with the game tied.

That left the 26-year-old winless in five career starts versus Los Angeles with a 6.54 ERA.

Kershaw, meanwhile, will face the Brewers for the first time in 2012 and is 2-2 with a 4.26 ERA in five starts against them.

The 24-year-old reigning National League Cy Young Award winner hurled 16 scoreless innings total in victories over the Diamondbacks and Cardinals before getting handed a 3-1 loss by the visiting Astros on Friday. Kershaw allowed three runs -- two earned -- on five hits and three walks, striking out six over seven frames. The deciding blow, though, was a two-run homer he allowed in the third.

"He didn't seem to be as sharp, but hung in there and gave us a chance to win," said Dodgers manager Don Mattingly about Kershaw.

The left-hander dropped to 4-2 with a 1.97 ERA in 10 starts this season and only suffered his second loss in his past 16 decisions at home.

Kershaw will try to get the Dodgers into the win column in this series after dropping the first two contests by one run each. The Brewers picked up their second win in a row since losing eight of 11 with Tuesday's 2-1 win.

Michael Fiers tossed seven innings of one-run ball in his first major league start, scattering five hits without a walk.

"Once I got out of the seventh inning a lot of the emotions came up and I thought about what it took to get here," said Fiers.

John Axford stranded the tying run on third in the ninth to record his ninth save of the year. Ryan Braun supplied the offense with a two-run homer in the first inning.

Milwaukee improved to 10-15 on the road and is looking to secure its first series victory on the road since taking three of four at Chicago from April 9-12, its first road series of the season.

Matt Kemp made his return for the Dodgers and went 1-for-4 with a double. He hadn't played since May 13 due to a strained left hamstring and was left stranded on third as the game-tying run in the ninth inning.

Nathan Eovaldi took the loss in his season debut despite allowing just two runs on four hits and a walk in seven innings. Andre Ethier knocked in the lone run for Los Angeles, which lost for the fourth time in six games.

"I was able to locate my offspeed stuff. That set up my fastball up-and-down the zone and that confused the hitters," Eovaldi said.

The Brewers also won two of three over the Dodgers at home from April 17-19 and have taken seven of the past nine encounters overall.