LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Brewers have been a sure thing when leading after seven innings this season. Until Will Smith left an 0-2 slider up against Adrian Gonzalez.
The Dodgers slugger hit a two-run homer to put Los Angeles ahead in the eighth inning on the way to a 4-3 victory Sunday.
"It's tough to go into the All-Star break with a bad taste in your mouth," Smith said. "You've got to get the job done, and I didn't do it."
The Brewers lost for the first time when leading after seven, dropping to 30-1. They fell to 11-11 in one-run games while losing two of three to head into the All-Star break entrenched in last place in the NL Central.
Smith (4-1) gave up one run and two hits in 1/3 of an inning of relief.
"We had the matchups we wanted late in the game and we had our guys pitching to who we wanted, so it worked as good as we could have hoped," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "Gonzalez is a good hitter going against a good pitcher. He threw two good ones to get to 0-2, but he just left a slider in the middle. It's something for him to build on."
The Brewers' Hernan Perez snapped a 1-1 tie leading off the third when he homered for the first time in his career on the first pitch from Brett Anderson. Perez's fielder's choice grounder in the fourth made it 3-1.
Ryan Braun, who became a six-time All-Star in replacing injured Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday on Sunday, homered with two outs in the first.
"It's a really difficult thing to accomplish, to make an All-Star team," Braun said. "It's an unfortunate way to get in. You never want to see anybody else get hurt."
Milwaukee starter Kyle Lohse allowed two runs and four hits in five innings. He struck out six and walked none.
"Kyle did a great job," Counsell said. "On a normal day he keeps going. But with the break coming and a really rested bullpen with guys who have been pitching really well, I went to them. But it's something for Kyle to build on."
Pedro Baez (2-1) got the victory with a strikeout in one inning of relief. Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth to earn his 16th save in 17 chances, including his last nine since June 12.
Howie Kendrick singled leading off the eighth on his 32nd birthday and advanced to second after center fielder Carlos Gomez misplayed the ball for an error. Gonzalez followed with his 18th homer for a 4-3 lead.
The Dodgers tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the first on Justin Turner's two-out RBI single. They closed to 3-2 in the fifth on A.J. Ellis' leadoff homer.
Turner went 3 for 4. Yasiel Puig, an All-Star a year ago as a rookie, saw his offensive woes continue, going hitless in four at-bats with two strikeouts.
Anderson gave up three runs and eight hits in seven innings. The left-hander struck out three and walked none.
Milwaukee resumes after the All-Star break with five games at home, starting Friday against Pittsburgh. RH Mike Fiers (4-7) will start. Milwaukee is 9-9 in his starts, including wins in each of his last four outings.
