THE DODGERS have have now won nine straight games (Flickr),

What does it take to win nine straight games in big league baseball? Well, it helps to have a pitcher like Bobby Miller, who retired the last 18 batters he faced. And then add in a five-run outburst in the sixth inning and you’ve got the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 6-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers at Chavez Ravine.

Miller (7-2) went six innings, giving up just one hit and one earned run. He struck out four batters and walked only one. Ryan Yarbrough got his first save, pitching the last three innings and giving up just one hit, a home run by Carlos Santana.

In the pivotal sixth inning, J.D. Martinez doubled in one run. Next, Enrique Hernandez singled in two runs to give the Dodgers a 4-1 lead.

With the victory, the Blue Crew is 72-46 with a probably insurmountable nine-game lead in the National League West. The San Francisco Giants are 64-56.

On Wednesday, Clayton Kershaw (10-4) will get the start.

Angels start slow, lose 7-3 to Rangers

With Tuesday’s 7-3 loss to the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field, the Los Angeles Angels continue to sink slowly in the west. The American League West, that is.

Now 59-62 and in fourth place, the Halos are 13.5 games out of first in the division, and – more importantly – eight games out of an AL wild card spot.

Once again, the Angels fell behind early and a late rally wasn’t nearly enough. Former Dodger Corey Seager hit a two-run home run in the third and added a solo shot in the eighth.

Trailing 7-1 in the top of the ninth, the Orange County team closed the gap – a little – on Randal Grichuk’s two-run home run