Potential distractions were everywhere for Clayton Kershaw in the fifth inning Sunday.
Kobe Bryant was seated in the first row behind the Dodgers dugout. A fan ran onto the Angel Stadium field and decked a security guard. And, in the most worrisome development for Kershaw, the Angels loaded the bases with nobody out.
None of it fazed the young left-hander.
"He's 21," Dodgers Manager Joe Torre said. "I was still drooling at 21. He's far ahead of a lot of youngsters."
In a coming-of-age performance, Kershaw persevered through seven scoreless innings of a 5-3 triumph that gave the Dodgers their first series victory at Angel Stadium since July 2004.
"It's huge," said Kershaw, who helped the Dodgers improve the best record in baseball to 46-24 while depriving the Angels (36-31) of a chance to move into first place in the American League West. "As much as it can mean in June."
James Loney hit a two-run homer and Juan Pierre had three hits and drove in two runs as the Dodgers handed Angels starter John Lackey his first career loss in 11 interleague starts at home.
Things got dicey for Kershaw only two pitches into the fifth. The crowd roared as a fan sprinted all the way to center field and knocked over a security guard before being knocked down himself and being led away in handcuffs.
"I still had to focus," Kershaw said, "but it was pretty funny."
Said Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp: "I was rolling."
Kershaw (4-5) wasn't smiling when he walked Sean Rodriguez and then fielded Erick Aybar's sacrifice in front of the mound, whirled and threw the ball into center field. Kershaw compounded matters by walking Chone Figgins on five pitches to load the bases.
In the Dodgers dugout, Torre turned to pitching coach Rick Honeycutt and said, "He got himself into this jam, let him get himself out of it."
That's exactly what Kershaw did, fielding Bobby Abreu's comebacker and starting a 1-2-3 double play. He then got Torii Hunter to pop up to shortstop Rafael Furcal to end the inning.
"That inning could have been a self-destructing moment for me," said Kershaw, who has not allowed a run in his last 12 2/3 innings. "I made the pitches when it counted."
The Dodgers had an easier time breaking through against Lackey (2-3), whose 25-inning scoreless streak at home against the Dodgers ended with Pierre's run-scoring double in the fifth.
