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LOS ANGELES -- Clayton Kershaw would have welcomed a little help from the umpires in the ninth inning, if only to end the game a bit sooner. When he didnt get it, the Dodgers ace finished off the Braves on his own. He scattered nine hits and struck out nine while tying his career-best winning streak of 10 games in a 2-1 victory Thursday night that completed Los Angeles three-game sweep of Atlanta. "Fortunately for us a lot of times he comes out on top," catcher A.J. Ellis said. "Hes an amazing talent who is just as strong in the ninth as he is in the first. Theres no drop-off ever. Were spoiled rotten." Kershaw (13-2) notched his second consecutive complete game for the second time in his career following his three-hit shutout at San Francisco last weekend. He is unbeaten in his last 11 starts with a 10-0 record since June 2. The left-hander beat the Braves for the first time during the regular season in his career. "You want to be the same from the first inning to the ninth," Kershaw said. "I got hurt this year at the beginning, but now I feel pretty strong." Kershaw had to work to close out the Braves in the ninth, when he finally gave up a run. With one out, B.J. Upton singled and advanced to third on Tommy La Stellas single. Freddie Freeman went down swinging for the second out, bringing the cheering crowd of 51,163 to its feet. But the Braves closed to 2-1 on Justin Uptons infield single to third. Juan Uribe charged to field the ball and fired to first, where Adrian Gonzalez stretched for the throw. Upton was called safe by umpire Mike Estabrook. Manager Don Mattingly challenged the call as the crowd grew rowdier. Kershaw crouched behind the mound waiting for a decision. It took 2 1-2 minutes before the umpires upheld the call, putting the potential go-ahead run on first. Evan Gattis grounded out to shortstop to end the game. "It looked really close. The umpire got it right," Kershaw said. "It would have been nice to get that overturned." Yasiel Puig homered as the Dodgers stretched their winning streak to a season-high six games and swept the Braves for the first time since taking four in a row from July 26-29, 1990, at home. The Dodgers, who turned three double plays, moved a season-best 3 1/2 games ahead of the idle Giants in the NL West. Julio Teheran (10-7) dueled with Kershaw, but fell behind in the first. Puig walked and scored from first when Gonzalez doubled to deep right-centre field. "I had my best and everything was working, but I made a couple of mistakes and they got two runs," Teheran said. "It was fun (pitching against Kershaw). I know its not that easy to face him, but we had a real battle out there." Puig extended the lead to 2-0 with his 13th homer in the third. Teheran gave up five hits in eight innings. He struck out nine and walked three in his third complete game of the season and his first loss. TRAINERS ROOM Braves: Outfielder Jason Heyward missed his third straight game with a sore back that he strained last week chasing a foul ball. Manager Fredi Gonzalez said he hopes Heyward can return sometime this weekend in San Diego. Dodgers: Left-hander Scott Elbert was outrighted to Triple-A Albuquerque. ON DECK Braves: Atlanta heads to San Diego for a three-game series beginning Friday. Left-hander Mike Minor (4-6, 5.23 ERA) will start the opener. Dodgers: The Cubs arrive Friday for a three-game set, with Dan Haren (8-8, 4.49 ERA) taking the mound. The right-hander lost all four of his starts in July. UPTONS HITTING Justin Upton is hitting .347 with nine runs scored, six doubles, two homers and eight RBIs in 14 games since the All-Star break. DOMINATING PUIG Puig has hit safely in all 11 career games against the Braves, batting .511 and that includes four post-season games. It was his 16th consecutive game hitting safely against an NL East opponent since May 2. 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Few critics had given France any chance, but coach Marc Lievremonts team rallied from 8-0 down and came within one kick of taking the lead with 15 minutes remaining, only for flyhalf Francois Trinh-Ducs 49-meter effort to drift wide. China Jerseys Cheap . Berkman almost left the game last off-season before signing with the Texas Rangers. He then had another injury-plagued season and was limited to 73 games.BEREA, Ohio - Jim Brown stood alongside Muhammad Ali in the 1960s when the boxing champion protested going to Vietnam. An activist for 50 years, the Hall of Fame running back has never shied away from fighting for anything hes believed in.Brown has been the rare high-profile athlete unafraid to challenge or call for social change. Now, during a time of racial tension and unrest, he has found hope, encouraged by what hes seen from some prominent sports figures.On Friday, the 78-year-old Cleveland Browns great praised NBA superstar LeBron James and NFL players for speaking out and bringing attention to high-profile cases in Ferguson, Missouri, and New York in which black men had fatal encounters with law enforcement.The thing that I feel most about is the emerging of young players that are intelligently protesting what they feel are injustices, their willingness to step up and recognize that there has to be some changes in the methodology of engagement with citizens and police, he said.James and Cavaliers teammate Kyrie Irving were among a group of players who wore I Cant Breathe T-shirts this week in support of the family of Eric Garner, who died in July after a New York police officer placed him in a chokehold while trying to arrest him. Five members of the St. Louis Rams ran onto the field before a Nov. 30 game with their hands raised in a gesture of solidarity for protesters and the family of Michael Brown, killed outside St. Louis.Grand juries in both cities declined to indict either officer, sparking nationwide protests.To Brown, the protests by James, Kobe Bryant and others suggest a sense of perspective and maturity.One of the things that Ive always not liked is the modern players have always concentrated on dancing in the end zone and BS-ing when serious things were going on in this country that needed to be changed, Brown said. So my opinion is that when these young people stand up andd risk their careers, thats a good sign for everything and all of us.dddddddddddd. They have the power of bringing attention to the issues.Brown has been critical of athletes for not using their fame as a platform to address on social issues. He understands the power James has and believes the 29-year-olds courage to step forward can inspire.I think a person like Mr. James is showing himself to be a thinking leader, Brown said, and thats awesome because it takes your high-profile athletes to call attention to and step out so players can follow that lead and create the collective voice.Brown said its imperative for athletes to lead by example.We make a lot of money, we get a lot of notoriety and were living a great life, said Brown, a special adviser with the Browns. But we realize that there are poor people in this country, underprivileged people and patterns that are used by the system that need to be addressed and looked at it in many ways.A three-time MVP, Brown retired from football following the 1957 season, leaving at the peak of his career to pursue an acting career. However, he didnt go to Hollywood simply to make movies. He founded the Amer-I-Can program to help black kids and has been a long-time crusader for racial justice. Hes worked with gang members in Los Angeles.Brown also has had his share of problems. Hes been arrested on various charges and spent four months in jail in 2000 after refusing counselling for a domestic violence charge. Brown remains engaged with civic leaders and believes change, though slow, can take place. But it will take insight and dedication.Regardless of what else we do, young black men in this country have to understand that they have a responsibility. They cannot be the enemy in their own neighbourhoods and usurp the effort of good people that are trying to make things work.___AP NFL websites: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL ' ' '