Dodgers run out of good stuff

HOUSTON —  On paper, the red-hot Dodgers seemed poised to roll into Houston and easily dispense with the struggling Astros to extend their eight-game winning streak.

After all, the Dodgers arrived with the best batting and pitching statistics in the big leagues and opened their three-game series with Houston with left-hander Clayton Kershaw, who was brilliant in his previous outing.

But the Dodgers were the ones struggling Tuesday night as the Astros roughed up Kershaw (0-1) for six earned runs on their way to an 8-5 victory, snapping the Dodgers’ winning streak.

Carlos Lee tagged Kershaw for a two-run home run in the third inning and Miguel Tejada drove in three runs as the Dodgers (10-4) dropped the first game of a nine-game trip and their first game of the season outside of the National League West division.

Kershaw “just didn’t look comfortable,” said Dodgers Manager Joe Torre. “I thought he battled, but it looked like he was trying to overthrow it at times.”

But Kershaw, 21, said discomfort wasn’t the problem.

“I just didn’t have a good night,” he said. “I was getting ahead of hitters for the most part, they were just hitting pitches. It was one of those nights.”

Fresh from a 6-0 homestand at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers quickly scored three runs in the first inning off Houston starter Russ Ortiz (1-0).

But the Astros (5-9) then went after Kershaw in front of 26,360 on a warm, pleasant night in downtown Houston that allowed the Astros to keep the retractable roof open at Minute Maid Park.

It was clear from the outset that Kershaw was not in control of the hitters as he’d been in his last outing against the San Francisco Giants, when he struck out 13 and allowed just one hit and one run in seven innings.

Kershaw overall gave up eight hits and six runs in 4 1/3 innings, sending his earned-run average soaring to 4.41 from 1.50.

“As far as getting ahead of hitters and throwing strikes with off-speed pitches, I probably had better command today than I had the other day against the Giants,” Kershaw said.

But the Astros “hit some good pitches, and other times they just capitalized a lot more,” he said.

Dodgers reliever Guillermo Mota walked Kazuo Matsui in the sixth inning with the bases loaded, widening Houston’s lead to 7-3.

The Dodgers closed the gap to 7-5 in the seventh when Orlando Hudson singled and Manny Ramirez followed with a home run over the center-field fence off Houston reliever Jeff Fulchino. It was Ramirez’s third homer of the year.

After Houston added another run in the eighth, the Dodgers threatened once more in the ninth, when the first two hitters reached base against Astros closer Jose Valverde. But Ramirez flied out to deep right and, after Andre Ethier walked to load the bases, James Loney and Russell Martin struck out.

One consolation for the Dodgers: Center fielder Matt Kemp tripled to center in the fourth inning, extending his hitting streak, which began opening day, to 14 games, tops in the big leagues. Kemp is hitting .392.

Kershaw was philosophical about the winning streak reaching an end. “It’s part of [the game],” he said. “You don’t want it to happen but it happens sometimes.”

The last time the Dodgers won nine consecutive games was July 28 to Aug. 8, 2006, when they won 11 in a row.

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james.peltz@latimes.com