Rookie backs Kershaw in Dodgers’ victory

LOS ANGELES — Miguel Vargas hit his first big league home run to help Clayton Kershaw win his third straight start as the Los Angeles Dodgers bounced back with a 6-2 victory over St. Louis on Saturday.

Will Smith and Trayce Thompson also went deep for the National League West champions, who had lost three of four — including an 11-0 blowout by the Cardinals on Friday.

St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols went 1-for-4, a night after becoming the fourth major leaguer to reach 700 homers. Nolan Arenado had a solo shot for the Cardinals, whose NL Central lead dropped to 6½ games over Milwaukee.

Kershaw (10-3) struck out seven in six innings while allowing two runs on six hits. The left-hander is 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA in five starts since coming off the injured list. He was sidelined nearly a month because of lower back pain.

Vargas, the Dodgers’ minor league player of the year in 2021, started at first base after major league batting leader Freddie Freeman (illness) was scratched. With Austin Barnes aboard after a single, Vargas hit a 93.5 mph fastball from Jordan Montgomery (8-6) into the center-field stands to put the Dodgers up 4-0.

The Associated Press Raul Romero Jr. Dodgers rookie Miguel Vargas belts his first major league home run Saturday in Los Angeles’ 6-2 victory over the Cardinals at Chavez Ravine.