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Haren goes after third straight win versus Brewers

Aug 17, 2014 - 1:52 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Dan Haren eyes a third straight win on Sunday when the Los Angeles Dodgers try to salvage the finale of a three-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium.

After losing five straight starts Haren has put together back-to-back victories, including a win over the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday that gave him 10 wins on the season, marking the 10th consecutive season that he has reached double-digits.

Haren surrendered two runs and six hits in six innings of that one and improved to 10-9, while lowering his ERA to 4.50.

"I felt definitely the heat of not doing well for so long," Haren said. "The self-doubt is going to creep into my mind. It was just weird how it happened. I was unsure how many starts left I would have, but it was pretty bad coming to the field and having so many bad starts in a row. How many starts did I have left? Who's to say if maybe I did bad in Anaheim, I'd throw out of the bullpen. I don't know."

Haren's roll could continue, as he is 2-0 and has allowed just two runs in 21 1/3 innings lifetime versus the Brewers.

Milwaukee, meanwhile, will counter with righty Wily Peralta, who had a five- start winning streak stopped his last time out. Peralta lost to Chicago on Tuesday, as he surrendered three runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings to fall to 14-7 on the year to go along with a 3.46 ERA.

"For some reason (the Cubs) put good at-bats against me," he said. "It's a young team, (but) they have big league hitters. I think I'm going to get another chance to face them and get a win."

Peralta has split two starts with the Dodgers, but has pitched to an 8.22 ERA against them.

Milwaukee handed Los Angeles ace Clayton Kershaw a rare loss on Saturday, as Yovani Gallardo outdueled him in the Brewers' 3-2 win.

Gallardo (8-6) went toe-to-toe with the two-time Cy Young Award winner, giving up a run on six hits over eight efficient frames.

"They were swinging early and that's good," said Gallardo. "It meant that I was in the strike zone. I just tried to keep the lead. We won. That's the most important thing."

Kershaw (14-3), meanwhile, continued his brilliance on the mound but took a loss for the first time since May 28, a span of 14 starts. The southpaw was victimized by a pair of homers as he allowed three runs on five hits and struck out 11 in his sixth complete game of the season.

"I thought Clayton pitched a really good game," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "He just missed his spots on two pitches. Give them credit. Gallardo shut us down."

Kershaw, who went 11-0 with a 1.16 ERA over his 13-start unbeaten run, was vying to become the first Los Angeles pitcher to win 12 straight decisions since Burt Hooton in 1975.

Ryan Braun and Carlos Gomez each homered off Kershaw to help the NL Central- leading Brewers to a third straight victory.

Los Angeles has dropped five of its last seven home games.

Milwaukee took two of three from the Dodgers last weekend.