ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Braves needed six tries to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers this season. Justin Upton thinks the Braves took too long. "Weve battled them hard and weve let some games get away late," Upton said. "Its nice to get a win. We had to work for this one, so it was nice to see." Ervin Santana won his sixth straight start at Turner Field, Upton drove in the go-ahead run in the fifth inning and the Atlanta Braves snapped a two-game skid with a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night. Andrelton Simmons returned to the lineup after missing six games with a sprained left ankle and had two RBIs for the Braves, who had lost 11 of 13. Hyun-Jin Ryu (13-6) left the game with a right gluteus muscle injury after allowing six hits and three runs with two walks and seven strikeouts in 5 2-3 innings. "I dont think its something serious right now," Ryu said through a translator. "Its not like my arm blew out. I think I can jump right back on the mound. I just want to be cautious of it as well." The victory allowed second-place Atlanta to stay five games behind Washington in the NL East. Los Angeles, which leads San Francisco by five games in the NL West, was trying to earn a sixth straight win over the Braves for the first time since Sept. 20, 1987-April 16, 1988. Santana (12-6) improved to 5-0 with a 2.70 ERA in his last six starts overall, giving up eight hits, two runs and two walks with nine strikeouts in six innings. The right-hander improved to 8-2 with a 3.48 ERA at Turner Field this year. Atlanta closer Craig Kimbrel got the last three outs to earn his 35th save in 39 chances. He walked the first batter he faced, pinch-hitter Andre Either, and the next batter, Dee Gordon, reached on a bunt single. Kimbrel struck out Yasiel Puig for the first out and gave up a single to Adrian Gonzalez to load the bases before Matt Kemp grounded into a double play to end the game. "The moment doesnt get away from him," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said of Kimbrel. "He has the maturity of being in situations closing big games, but he doesnt get rattled a lot." The Dodgers took a 2-0 lead in the second on RBI singles by Carl Crawford and Miguel Rojas. The Braves cut the lead to 2-1 in their half of the second when Evan Gattis doubled, moved to third on a bunt and scored on Simmons RBI groundout. Chris Johnson, who was hitting .434 against left-handers this season, decided on his own to move over Gattis with a rare sacrifice against Ryu. "Whatever it takes to win ballgames, whatever it takes to runs, weve got to do that," Johnson said. "We cant sit on our ego or anything like that. If I have to bunt, I have to bunt." Simmons bloop RBI single in the fourth tied the score 2-2. Atlanta went up in the fifth. Jason Heyward, batting leadoff for the first time since June 17, singled, advanced when Freeman was hit by a pitch and scored from second on Uptons RBI single. Puig went 0 for 4 with four strikeouts and one walk. TRAINERS ROOM Dodgers: Ryu grabbed the back of his top right leg after as he stood in front of the mound after walking B.J. Upton in the sixth and motioned for a trainer. He walked off the field under his own power. The Dodgers are listing him as day to day. Braves: Simmons, who went 1 for 4, appeared to run and field with no ill effects after missing the last six games with a sprained left ankle. UP NEXT Dodgers: RHP Roberto Hernandez (6-8) will make his second start since arriving in an Aug. 8 trade with Philadelphia, has a 2.87 ERA and a .189 opponents batting average in his last eight games. Braves: RHP Aaron Harang (9-6) didnt receive a decision in his last five starts despite a 2.81 ERA. SMILES IN THE USA: Atlanta bullpen coach Eddie Perez, a native of Venezuela, said before the game that he took a U.S. oath of naturalization in the morning with his family in attendance. 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Jacob Jacques, Andrew Ryan and Jonathan Drouin also scored for Halifax (37-18-3), who outshot the Islanders 40-26. Kevin Darveau stopped 25 shots. Bradley Kennedy had the lone goal for Charlottetown (18-33-5), which has nine losses in its last 10 games.CLEVELAND -- One swing by Dayan Viciedo provided a dramatic turnaround for the Chicago White Sox. Viciedo hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning off John Axford, lifting the White Sox over the Cleveland Indians 4-3 and stopping a four-game losing streak. After the ball cleared the right-field fence, Viciedo pointed to Chicagos dugout, which erupted in celebration. "That was for the team. That was very exciting," he said. Other than Jose Abreus major league-leading 12th homer, a solo drive in the first inning, the ALs highest-scoring team couldnt manufacture any runs. Corey Kluber struck out a career-high 13 in eight innings, including a team-record seven straight. He allowed three hits and two walks, leaving with a 3-1 lead after 110 pitches. "Its good for the guys to just stay with it," Chicago manager Robin Ventura said. "Even though it looks bleak, you can still make a little bit of a comeback." Axford (0-2) walked Gordon Beckham leading off the ninth, but struck out Abreu. Adam Dunn walked, and Viciedo homered on a 2-2 pitch. "I was looking for a pitch I could make good contact with," Viciedo said. "He made a mistake, and I made him pay for it." Axford gave up the homer on a 96 mph four-seamer. "I fell behind in the count to too many guys, and it didnt work out," he said. "I put two guys on base without me even challenging. I just couldnt find it. The home run was on a fastball. Not a very good pitch, obviously." Indians manager Terry Francona, citing pitch count and the narrow lead, didnt second guess himself for pulling Kluber. "If anyone got on base, he was going to come out of the game, and I didnt think that was fair to him," Francona said. Kluber had no problem with Franconas strategy. "Thats not my decision. I trust Titos judgment," he said. Axford has blown two saves in 11 chances, both against the White Sox. He gave up a walkoff homer to Alexei Ramirez in the ninth inning on April 13 at Chicago. Daniel Webb (2-0) pitched the eighth, and Matt Lindstrom threw a one-hit ninth for his fourth save in seven chances. George Kottaras, the Indians backup catcher, became the first player to homer in his first two plate appearances for Cleveland.dddddddddddd Andre Rienzo allowed three runs and seven hits in 4 2-3 innings. Klubers streak began when he struck out Gordon Beckham and Abreu for the final two outs of the third. He fanned Dunn, Viciedo and Ramirez in the fourth, and Jordan Danks and Tyler Flowers struck out beginning the fifth. Leury Garcia broke the streak by walking on a 3-2 pitch, and Kluber struck out Alejandro De Aza. Kluber fell two strikeouts short of the AL record set by Doug Fister for Detroit against Kansas City on Sept. 27, 2012. Tom Seaver holds the major league record of 10 for the New York Mets against San Diego on April 22, 1970. Clevelands previous mark was six by Bob Feller, Bartolo Colon, Chuck Finley and Mitch Talbot. Four of Abreus five hits against the Indians this season have been homers. The White Sox broke an eight-game losing streak at Progressive Field, where they had gone 6-20 since 2013. "It hasnt been good to us here so to be able to come back and take one like this is pretty nice," Ventura said. The White Sox returned to Chicago to start a four-game, home-and-home stretch against the Cubs on Monday at Wrigley Field. "It was a much-needed win, obviously," Lindstrom said. "Now we can go home and start to put together a pretty good series against the Cubs. Kottaras, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Columbus on Saturday when Yan Gomes was placed on the paternity list, hit solo homers in the third and fourth. Kottaras had been 2 for 25 (.080) in the minors. Lonnie Chisenhall had an RBI single for Cleveland in the third. Indians centre fielder and leadoff hitter Michael Bourn missed the game because of tightness in his left hamstring. NOTES: Indians DH Jason Giambi (cramp in right calf) didnt play. ... The White Sox added OF Moises Sierra, claimed off waivers from Toronto, to the 25-man roster. LHP Frank De Los Santos was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte. ... The Indians optioned LHP Nick Hagadone to Columbus. ... Chicago 3B Conor Gillaspie (bruised left hand) homered on a minor league injury rehabilitation assignment at Charlotte and could return this week. ' ' '