New Dodger Barajas hits 3-run HR in 5-3 win over Brewers with Selig watching

Barajas homers, Dodgers win in his debut

MILWAUKEE — Rod Barajas made a smashing debut for the Dodgers with a three-run homer and Ted Lilly won his fifth straight in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 5-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.

Matt Kemp added a 447-foot homer in the second, but Barajas dealt the biggest blow in the sixth after starting his career in Los Angeles with consecutive doubles.

Barajas was claimed from the Mets on Sunday.

Lilly, who came over in a July trade from the Cubs, had his scoreless innings streak snapped at 17 after allowing a run in the second and trailed 3-2 after Rickie Weeks’ homer and Ryan Braun’s RBI double in the fifth.

But Barajas answered in a day that started with the unveiling of a statue honoring baseball commissioner Bud Selig outside Miller Park.

With the Brewers trailing 5-3 in the eighth, Casey McGehee lined sharply to third baseman Ronnie Belliard, whose snap throw to second doubled off Prince Fielder to end the inning.

Hong-Chih Kuo allowed a bunt single by Carlos Gomez and threw away a grounder to put two on and one out in the ninth, but finished his fifth save of the season by getting Corey Hart to pop out and striking out Weeks to end it.

Manny Ramirez, amid speculation he’ll be put on the waiver wire soon, went 0 for 4 with a strikeout in his second appearance since coming back from his third trip to the disabled list this season. He’s hitless in his last 10 at-bats.

Kemp’s homer hit the scoreboard just below the word “Brewers” on the digital display to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead, and Lilly (8-8) worked out of serious trouble until the fifth.

After getting the first two outs, Weeks homered to right field, Alcides Escobar singled and scored on Braun’s double to give Milwaukee a 3-2 lead.

Brewers starter Dave Bush (6-11) gave the runs right back in the sixth.

After getting the first two outs, he allowed consecutive singles before Barajas’ blast into the netting above the Brewers’ bullpen in left-center field.

Selig, the former Brewers owner who pushed to get Miller Park built, spoke for 15 minutes at a ceremony several hours before the game attended by Hall of Famers Robin Yount, Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson, Ernie Banks and Al Kaline along with more than a dozen owners and dignitaries representing most of the 30 clubs.

Rachel Robinson, the widow of Jackie Robinson, also sat in the front row as the bronze, 7-foot statue of Selig holding a baseball in his right hand was revealed for the first time, joining those of Yount and Aaron.

Notes: The 76-year-old Selig threw out the first pitch after a standing ovation. … Hart (hamstring) was out of the starting lineup for a third straight game and CF Carlos Gomez (concussion) was activated from the 15-day DL. … Dodgers manager Joe Torre said he bought his first car from Selig, a former salesman. Torre said he wrecked the 1960 Thunderbird the next spring in Miami. … Torre said RHP Carlos Monasterios would start Thursday and Chad Billingsley would move to Saturday.