The case attracted international interest because the two Pistorius two brothers — including double-amputee Olympics star Oscar — faced court cases for the deaths of two women.

The magistrate ruled that Carl Pistorius, 28, was not negligent and that Maria Barnard was driving her motorcycle excessively fast when she crashed into the back of his vehicle in March 2008.

Carl Pistorius’ case was brought to court shortly after athlete Oscar Pistorius shot dead his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day.

The spokesman for the National Prosecuting Authority, Medupe Simasiku, denied that Carl Pistorius was only prosecuted because of his younger brother’s high-profile murder case.

“I believe that despite the fact that the case got the media interest because of the younger brother’s case in Pretoria, this case still ran its own course according to its own merit,” Simasiku told The Associated Press.

Carl Pistorius’ stepmother and sister hugged him in the court after Magistrate Buks du Plessis announced he was acquitted of all charges — culpable homicide as well as alternate charges of driving negligently and driving without consideration.

Pistorius said he felt for the family of the woman who died, regardless of who was responsible. “My heart goes to them,” he said. “I do think of them, and I will continue thinking of them while I walk on this Earth, and I understand their loss and their pain and, regardless of whose responsibility it is, the pain doesn’t diminish.”

Barnard died in a hospital six days after the accident.

Simasiku said the state did not have an expert witness to counter a planned defense argument that Barnard actually died from lack of care in the hospital and not as a result of injuries sustained in the accident.

“We have lost the case,” Simasiku said, adding that the National Prosecution Authority will take no further action.

Oscar Pistorius, meanwhile, is charged with premeditated murder in the shooting he says was accidental because he mistook model Reeva Steenkamp for a burglar.

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Associated Press writer Gerald Imray contributed to this report from Stellenbosch, South Africa.

The Royal & Ancient Golf Club and U.S. Golf Association said Rule 14-1b will take effect in 2016.

“We recognize this has been a divisive issue, but after thorough consideration, we remain convinced that this is the right decision for golf,” R&A chief executive Peter Dawson said.

The new rule does not ban the long putters, only the way they commonly are used. Golfers no longer will be able to anchor the club against their bodies to create the effect of a hinge. Masters champion Adam Scott used a long putter he pressed against his chest. British Open champion Ernie Els and U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson used a belly putter, as did Keegan Bradley in the 2011 PGA Championship.

“We strongly believe that this rule is for the betterment of the game,” USGA President Glen Nager said. “Rule 14-1b protects one of the important challenges in the game — the free swing of the entire club.”

The announcement followed six months of contentious debate, and it might not be over.

The next step is for the PGA Tour to follow the new rule or decide to establish its own condition of competition that would allow players to anchor the long putters. PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem said in February the USGA and R&A would be “making a mistake” to adopt the rule, though he also has stressed the importance of golf playing under one set of rules.

“I think it’s really important that the PGA Tour — and all the professional tours — continue to follow one set of rules,” USGA executive director Mike Davis said. “We have gotten very positive feedback from the tours around the world saying that they like one set of rules, they like the R&A and USGA governing those. So if there was some type of schism, we don’t think that would be good for golf.

“And we are doing what we think is right for the long-term benefit of the game for all golfers, and we just can’t write them for one group of elite players.”

The tour said in a statement it would consult with its Player Advisory Council and policy board to determine “whether various provisions of Rule 14-1b will be implemented in our competitions, and if so, examine the process for implementation.”

PGA of America President Ted Bishop, who had some of the sharpest comments over the last few months, also said his group would discuss the new rule — and confer with the PGA Tour — before deciding how to proceed.

“We are disappointed with this outcome,” Bishop said. “As we have said publicly and repeatedly during the comment period, we do not believe 14-1b is in the best interest of recreational golfers and we are concerned about the negative impact it may have on both the enjoyment and growth of the game.”

Some forms of anchoring have been around at least 40 years, and old photographs suggest it has been used even longer. It wasn’t until after Bradley became the first major champion to use a belly putter that the USGA and R&A said it would take a new look at the putting style.

“It can never be too late to do the right thing,” Nager said.

Those in favor of anchored putting argued that none of the top 20 players in the PGA Tour’s most reliable putting statistic used a long putter, and if it was such an advantage, why wasn’t everyone using it?

“Intentionally securing one end of the club against the body, and creating a point of physical attachment around which the club is swung, is a substantial departure from that traditional free swing,” Nager said. “Anchoring creates potential advantages, such as making the stroke simpler and more repeatable, restricting the movement and rotation of the hands, arms and clubface, creating a fixed pivot point, and creating extra support and stability that may diminish the effects of nerves and pressure.”

The governing bodies announced the proposed rule on Nov. 28, even though they had no data to show an advantage. What concerned them more was a spike in usage on the PGA Tour, more junior golfers using the long putters and comments from instructors that it was a better way to putt. There was concern the conventional putter would become obsolete over time.

The purpose of the new rule was simply to define what a putting stroke should be.

“The playing rules are not based on statistical studies,” Nager said. “They are based on judgments that define the game and its intended challenge. One of those challenges is to control the entire club, and anchoring alters that challenge.”

The topic was so sensitive that the USGA and R&A allowed for a 90-day comment period, an unprecedented move for the groups that set the rules of golf. The USGA said about 2,200 people offered feedback through its website, while the R&A said it had about 450 people from 17 countries go through its website.

Among those who spoke in favor of the ban were Tiger Woods, Brandt Snedeker and Steve Stricker.

“I’ve always felt that in golf you should have to swing the club, control your nerves and swing all 14 clubs, not just 13,” Woods said Monday.

Tim Clark and Carl Pettersson have used the long putter as long as they have been on the PGA Tour. Scott switched to the broom-handle putter only in 2011, and he began contending in majors for the first time — tied for third in 2011 Masters, runner-up at the 2012 British Open, his first major victory in the Masters last month.

“It was inevitable that big tournaments would be won with this equipment because these are the best players in the world, and they practice thousands of hours,” Scott said after winning the Masters. “They are going to get good with whatever they are using.”

It was Clark’s dignified speech to a players-only meeting — with Davis from the USGA in the room — that helped sway the tour’s opinion to oppose the ban.

Davis and Dawson said their research indicated the opposition to the new rule was mainly in America. The European Tour and other tours around the world all backed the ban.

Players can still use the putter, but it would have to be held away from the body to allow free swing. Mark Newell, head of the USGA’s rules committee, said the rule would be enforced like so many others in golf — players would have to call the penalty on themselves.

There was a Chelsea player at the top of the player rankings, with Fernando Torres sharing first place with Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery. The Spanish striker belatedly regained his goal-scoring form to impress the 14 voters on the panel.

“Great week for Torres and ‘Spanish’ Chelsea in the last days with (Rafa) Benítez,” said Orefeo Suarez, from Spain’s El Mundo. “The Spanish coach said Torres is coming back with him to the level he had in Liverpool.”

Torres scored the opening goal in the 2-1 victory over Benfica in the Europa League final before firing home the winner against Everton on the final day of the Premier League season, securing the team third place in the standings. He had previously netted just once in his previous eight matches.

“He had to be under a fair amount of pressure considering his scoring troubles,” said Tom Timmermann, of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Chelsea edged Bayern into second place — but the German side could be back on top spot next week if it wins the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.

Ribery looks in prime form for that match, after scoring twice in a wild 4-3 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach in which Bayern came back from conceding three times in the opening 10 minutes.

“If there was any doubt that Franck Ribery has been Bayern’s most important player this season, the Frenchman put them to rest on the final day of the Bundesliga season scoring twice and laying on a further two assists in another world-class performance,” said James Thorogood, of Bundesliga.com.

Atletico Madrid was rewarded for its victory over city rival Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey, climbing to third in the team poll and having two players — goalkeeper Thibault Courtois (fourth) and striker Radamel Falcao (ninth) — in the top 10 of the player rankings.

“What a Friday night at the Bernabeu for Atletico Madrid,” said Julian Bennetts, from Hayters news agency in England. “They had not beaten their old rivals Real Madrid in 14 years until their incredible victory in the Copa del Rey, and they celebrated with understandable gusto.”

To extend the week’s Chelsea theme, Courtois is on loan to Atletico from the London club, which is widely reported to be one of the many teams chasing the signature of Radamel Falcao this summer. Romelu Lukaku, who was third in the player poll after getting a second-half hat trick for West Bromwich Albion in a 5-5 draw with Manchester United, is also a Chelsea player.

Arsenal placed fourth thanks to wins over Wigan and Newcastle that capped an end-of-season recovery and clinched the fourth and final Champions League berth in the Premier League. By sealing the Portuguese title, FC Porto was fifth and Barcelona sixth after beating Valladolid 2-1 in the Spanish league.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic stole some of the spotlight from David Beckham in the midfielder’s final home match from Paris Saint-Germain, scoring a double in a 3-1 win over Brest in the French league for eighth place in the player list.

His 29 points put him just behind AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli, whose converted penalty helped AC Milan into next season’s Champions League, but ahead of Falcao and Robin van Persie (10th).

The team’s website reported Tuesday, the first day of organized team workouts, that Romo underwent the procedure last month and could return for the mandatory minicamp that starts June 11. He will be ready for training camp in July.

Romo became the highest-paid player in franchise history in March when he signed a six-year, $108 million extension with $55 million guaranteed, more than Super Bowl winner Joe Flacco of Baltimore.

The Dallas Morning News reported that the outpatient procedure was performed before the NFL draft. Romo was restricted to light conditioning work in April but has been cleared to throw.

“If this was the regular season and I had to play next week, I could,” Romo told the newspaper Monday. “That’s why I did it now. This will have no effect on training camp.”

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has said Romo will have an expanded role in the offense, and his quarterback has committed to “Peyton Manning-type time” in trying to turn Dallas into a Super Bowl contender again.

Backup Kyle Orton will take most of the snaps in Romo’s absence. He signed as a free agent last year but played in just one game, a blowout loss to Chicago. The Cowboys also have second-year player Nick Stephens and undrafted rookie Dalton Williams on the roster.

A healthy Romo is a huge factor with coach Jason Garrett’s job on the line in 2013. Garrett is unlikely to return if the Cowboys miss the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.

The last time Romo missed significant playing time, former coach Wade Phillips was fired and replaced by Garrett in the middle of a 6-10 season in 2010. Romo was out 10 games with a broken collarbone.

Romo played through a broken rib early in the 2011 season and stayed healthy last year. Both seasons ended with losses to NFC East rivals in finales with playoff berths on the line.

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Gustav Nyquist and Drew Miller scored 31 seconds apart midway through a previously scoreless game, helping the Red Wings beat the Blackhawks 3-1 on Monday night for a 2-1 lead in their Western Conference second-round series.

The top-seeded Blackhawks refused to roll over, pulling to 2-1 on Patrick Kane’s goal 4:35 into the third period, and were a judgment call away from tying it about a minute later. Andrew Shaw’s goal, however, was waved off because he was in the crease, the officials ruling he interfered with Detroit goaltender Jimmy Howard.

Chicago coach Joel Quenneville disagreed.

“He didn’t touch the goalie,” Quenneville said simply.

Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford couldn’t touch Pavel Datsyuk’s shot 6:46 into the final period, which had already come back out of the net before Crawford saw it.

Howard stopped 39 shots, while Crawford finished with 27 saves.

As good as seventh-seeded Detroit looked — scoring six straight goals to earn momentum in the series — its hard-driving coach isn’t ready to celebrate.

“We haven’t done anything yet,” Mike Babcock said.

If the Red Wings keep playing this way, though, the Blackhawks will have a long offseason to wonder what went wrong in a season that looked as though it was going to be special.

On Thursday night at home in Game 4, Detroit has a shot to put Chicago on the brink of elimination.

“A lot of guys in this room have been in tough positions before in the playoffs and that’s never stopped us,” Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews said. “We know this is a long series and we’re going to be fighting until the end.”

Chicago’s chances will improve if Toews can end his goal-scoring drought. Toews doesn’t have a goal in nine playoff games, dating to last year, despite matching Patrick Kane with a team-high 23 goals in the 48-game, lockout-shortened season.

Toews did have a game-high seven shots in Game 3, but Howard and his back-checking, shot-blocking teammates wouldn’t let him end his drought.

“If he keeps playing like that, it’ll find a way to get in,” Quenneville said.

Chicago has lost consecutive games for the first time in nearly two months. The Blackhawks began the season by setting an NHL record with at least a point in their first 24 games, ended it with a league-high 77 points and avoided any three-game losing streaks.

“The team is facing a little adversity and I am on a personal basis,” Toews said. “Not going to let that stop us or me.”

After a scoreless first period in a hot and steamy Joe Louis Arena, Detroit took a 2-0 lead with a pretty goal and a gritty one.

Nyquist patiently carried the puck from right to left and waited for defenseman Brent Seabrook and Crawford to sprawl out before shooting the puck into the open net.

“He’s real good at hanging onto the puck,” Babcock said.

Miller crashed the net to stuff the puck in after Patrick Eaves got to his own rebound to keep pressure on Crawford. Blackhawks defenseman Michal Rozsival started the sequence with a turnover in the Chicago zone.

It was a sixth straight unanswered goal in the series for the Red Wings, who lost the series opener 4-1 and gave up the first goal of Game 2 before going on to even the series with a 4-1 victory.

“They’re a real good team and they’re going to carry the play at times,” Babcock said. “We’re a good team and we’re going to carry the play at times.”

NOTES: Chicago hasn’t given up a power-play goal in its first eight playoff games, matching the 2001 St. Louis Blues for the longest such streak since 1988, according to STATS. … Babcock won his 77th postseason game, matching Quenneville for the most among active coaches. They both trail Pat Burns by one for eighth place on the NHL’s all-time list. … The Blackhawks put Viktor Stalberg back in the lineup and scratched Daniel Carcillo. Stalberg got shook up early in the game, missing a check and going head first into the boards.

The right-hander broke his throwing hand chasing an inside fastball after pitching himself toward his first win in seven starts, and the San Francisco Giants returned from a terrible road trip to beat the Washington Nationals 8-0 on Monday night.

Vogelsong was injured while fouling a ball off his hand in the fifth inning. He grimaced in pain while grabbing the hand — knowing immediately it was serious. He was quickly examined near the batter’s box and left the game.

Vogelsong broke two bones along the right pinkie and dislocated a knuckle the area that the medical staff couldn’t get popped back into place. He was scheduled for surgery Tuesday morning at Stanford and said he likely would have pins inserted to stabilize the hand and help speed the healing process.

“We’re not talking about Tommy John or anything here,” Vogelsong said, his eyes misty. “Basically as fast as we can get it to heal so I can start throwing again.”

Nationals manager Davey Johnson announced after the game that reliever Ryan Mattheus broke his pitching hand punching a locker in frustration Sunday. The right-hander allowed five runs in one inning of Washington’s 13-4 loss to the San Diego Padres, but didn’t tell the team about the injury until just before Monday’s game.

“Last night after the game he came in and was in the locker room and banged his glove against his locker with his hand in it,” Johnson said. “His hand didn’t swell up but when he went out to throw today his hand swelled up and he couldn’t throw the ball.”

Vogelsong (2-4) snapped a six-start winless stretch with just his second victory of 2013 and first since April 11 against the Cubs at Wrigley Field and seemed back on track.

He walked off to warm ovation as Nick Noonan pinch hit. Vogelsong allowed three hits in five scoreless innings and lowered his ERA from 8.06 to 7.19.

“It’s really a shame because tonight was the Vogey that we know, the way he threw all of last year, good stuff,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “It’s a tough one. I feel bad for him. I know he felt really good tonight. You’ve got to deal with these things. He’ll be back, hopefully, in a couple months.”

Brandon Belt hit a solo home run, matched his career best with four hits and scored three runs as San Francisco pounded a season-high 17 hits. Angel Pagan hit an RBI double and two-run single for San Francisco, also making a great leaping catch against the center-field wall.

Andres Torres had three hits and drove in a run and Marco Scutaro added an RBI single among his two hits.

Vogelsong got the defensive gem from Pagan when the center fielder slammed into the wall on Adam LaRoche’s deep fly in the second.

The 2011 All-Star ended a six-start winless stretch in which he had lost his last two outings and gone 0-3. He was tagged for eight runs — three earned — and six hits in two innings for his shortest outing of the year last Wednesday at Toronto.

“It was awesome,” Belt said. “The special thing about this team is everybody roots for everybody. We were as happy for him as can be, and it’s tough to see him go down like this. But we know he’ll be back, and strong and ready to go.”

Javier Lopez took over for Vogelsong in the top of the sixth and received a little bit more warm up time. Three more relievers finished for the Giants’ sixth shutout. San Francisco snapped a three-game skid after a 1-5 road trip through Toronto and Colorado.

The Giants have until next Tuesday before they need a fifth starter.

Bryce Harper went 0 for 4 in his return to the Nationals’ lineup after last season’s NL Rookie of the Year missed two games with a bruised left knee. He was hurt in a hard collision with the outfield wall a week earlier at Dodger Stadium that also caused him to need 11 stitches on his chin.

Left-hander Zach Duke (0-1) lasted just 3 1-3 innings in a spot start for Ross Detwiler, who is sidelined with back spasms. Duke allowed four runs and seven hits in his first start of the year.

Washington was shut out for the sixth time.

Vogelsong retired the first eight Nationals hitters in order.

The right-hander lasted only 2 2-3 innings in his first career start against Washington last year, allowing eight runs on nine hits with two walks.

“That’s the best I’ve felt in a long time, from a mental aspect, physical aspect, everything felt good,” he said. “It was nice to be able to get out there and have everything I’ve been working on for the last couple weeks kind of fall into place. From that standpoint it’s a good place to start when I come back.”

Scutaro extended his hitting streak to 18 games with a third-inning single. The second baseman fielded Roger Bernadina’s grounder in the fifth but dropped the ball in exchange from glove to hand, for the Giants’ 15th error in their last eight games.

Notes: Nationals OF Jayson Werth, on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring, is expected to need at least two more weeks to heal after a second MRI showed he “has some problems in there,” Johnson said. “He’s going to rest a bit.” … A moment of silence was held for the Oklahoma tornado victims before the national anthem. … RHP Matt Cain (3-2) starts for the Giants in Tuesday night’s middle game against righty Stephen Strasburg (2-5). … San Francisco’s Buster Posey has hit safely in 11 of his last 12. … Belt’s homer was the Giants’ 21st at home. Last season through their first 23 games at AT&T Park, they had hit just six HRs.

Kevin Durant, a three-time scoring champion for the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder, posted on his Twitter account that he was praying for everyone involved. He added: “Everybody stay safe!”

Mets pitcher Jeremy Hefner went to Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, just south of Oklahoma City. The school had its roof torn off and walls knocked down. Some of those killed died at the school.

“I mean, it’s terrifying,” the right-hander said.

Hefner still has family living in Moore. He said he had been in contact with his mother, who told him his cousins and uncles were OK.

“It’s just unfathomable,” he said. “I used to live there.”

Dodgers star Matt Kemp posted on Twitter: “‘m giving $1000 for tonight’s HR and every HR until the All-Star break for the victims of my hometown in OKC. (hash)PrayforOklahoma”

Coverage of the tornado damage was on the clubhouse TV as the Red Sox prepared for their game at the Chicago White Sox.

“It’s a tragedy when you see a natural disaster like that take place, so many innocent people that are certainly affected, if not directly by injury or possibly loss of life,” Boston manager John Farrell said. “Having been though something similar back in 1997 that had probably very similar damage, it’s a scary situation. Our thoughts are with all the people affected.”

Farrell played for Oklahoma State in college, and then served as the assistant coach and pitching and recruiting coordinator for the Cowboys for five seasons from 1997-2001.

“The location today is very close to where it was back in ’97,” Farrell said. “Just that area just south of Oklahoma City seems to be right in the path of unfortunately a lot of storm fronts and certainly the tornadoes again today.”

White Sox manager Robin Ventura also played his college ball at Oklahoma State, where was a three-time All-America. The Santa Maria, Calif., native said he didn’t know anything about tornadoes until there were a couple that passed through the area while he was in school.

“It’s scary,” he said. “There’s nothing you can do about it.”

Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden, who played at Oklahoma State and grew up in the Oklahoma City area, was relieved that no one in his wife’s family was injured.

“Devastating damage to Moore, Oklahoma due to Tornadoes,” Weeden wrote on his Twitter account. “Please keep these people in your prayers. Thankfully (at)MelanieWeeden family is safe.”

Kansas coach basketball coach Bill Self also went to Oklahoma State.

“We wish nothing but the very best for (those affected by the storm) and our thoughts are with them,” he said.

New York trailed 4-3 in the ninth before Travis Hafner homered with one out on a 3-1 pitch from Jim Johnson, who has blown three straight save opportunities after converting a franchise-record 35 in a row. All three of those botched saves have come during Baltimore’s current skid.

Hafner added an RBI single in the 10th inning for the Yankees, who have won 10 of 13 to move a season-high 12 games over .500 (28-16). The Yankees also improved to 19-0 when scoring first this season.

Robinson Cano hit his team-high 13th home run in the first inning for New York, David Adams clubbed his first major-league homer in the second and Lyle Overbay connected in the seventh.

In the 10th, Ichiro Suzuki led off with a double off Pedro Strop (0-2) and Wells followed with an RBI double to left. Hafner’s two-out single made it 6-4.

David Robertson (3-0) worked the ninth and Mariano Rivera got three straight outs for his 17th save in 17 tries.

After Overbay put New York up 3-2 in the seventh with a homer off Troy Patton, Baltimore took the lead against Yankees starter CC Sabathia in the bottom half. Alexi Casilla singled and scored on a double by Nick Markakis, who came home on an opposite-field double to right by J.J. Hardy.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter elevated Hardy to the third spot in the lineup because the shortstop came in with a .321 career batting average against Sabathia. Hardy also doubled in the fifth against the big left-hander.

Sabathia gave up four runs and 11 hits in 6 1-3 innings for the Yankees. He left with New York trailing 4-3, but Hafner’s shot in the ninth preserved Sabathia’s 17-4 lifetime record against Baltimore.

Orioles starter Freddy Garcia, who pitched the past two years for the Yankees, allowed two runs, three hits — two homers and a meaningless single — in six innings. Aided by two double plays, the right-hander faced only three batters over the minimum.

After Cano and Adams provided the Yankees with a 2-0 lead, Chris Davis hit his 13th homer for Baltimore in the second to make it 2-1.

Garcia retired eight straight batters before Adams singled in the fifth. He was erased by a double play.

After wasting a two-out double by Matt Wieters in the fourth, Baltimore pulled even in the fifth. Steve Pearce hit a leadoff double and scored on a single by Markakis. Later in the inning, Sabathia retired Adam Jones on a grounder with runners at second and third.

Replays indicated first base umpire Eric Cooper got two calls wrong in the sixth inning, both of which went against Baltimore. Brett Gardner appeared to be picked off first base and was called safe, and Wieters seemed to beat out an infield hit but was called out.

NOTES: Orioles RHP Miguel Gonzalez (blister on thumb) will return from the disabled list Tuesday night and start against the Yankees, who will have right-hander Phil Hughes on the mound. Hughes yielded seven earned runs in the first inning of his last start, against Seattle. … Yankees 1B Mark Teixeira batted in a simulated game in Florida, testing his injured wrist for the first time since spring training. Also, 3B Kevin Youkilis (spine) took batting practice and fielded ground balls; 3B Alex Rodriguez (hip surgery) fielded grounders; INF Eduardo Nunez (oblique) did dry swinging and also took grounders; and RHP Ivan Nova threw 60 pitches in extended spring training. “All our guys are increasing their activity. Everything is on the up and up a bit,” manager Joe Girardi said. … Washington Capitals forward Brooks Laich threw out the ceremonial first pitch. … Suzuki extended his hitting streak at Camden Yards to 20 games.

Ryan Braun managed a pair of singles and Yuniesky Betancourt also singled for the only hits off Kershaw (5-2). The lefty struck out five and walked one.

Andre Ethier homered and tripled for the last-place Dodgers before being ejected by plate umpire Dan Bellino for arguing a called third strike in the eighth inning.

The victory was a respite for Dodgers manager Don Mattingly. He addressed speculation before the game on whether he would be fired this week, insisting he didn’t feel as if he was about to be replaced.

Yovani Gallardo (3-4) gave up three runs, including two homers, in six innings. The right-hander lost his third consecutive start and the reeling Brewers have dropped 15 of 18 games.

With the Dodgers’ bullpen giving up 12 runs while Los Angeles was swept in a three-game weekend series at Atlanta, Mattingly took no chances. He sent Kershaw out for the ninth, and the ace needed only 10 pitches to retire the Brewers in order.

Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said before the game he thought Kemp’s lack of power this season was due to the slugger’s offseason surgery on his left shoulder.

The star center fielder hit his second homer of the season, connecting for the first time in a span of 87 at-bats. Kemp’s solo homer came in the sixth.

Colletti said his team, second-to-last in the majors in scoring at 3.4 runs per game, needed to hit better in the clutch. The Dodgers went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position against the Brewers.

Kershaw beat the Brewers for the second time in five starts. He has given up only three earned runs in 39 2-3 innings for an 0.68 ERA in that span.

Kemp, who hit 116 homers the past four seasons, walked to lead off the second and scored easily on Ethier’s triple for a 1-0 lead.

The Brewers tied it in the third. Rickie Weeks walked and later scored on a groundout to second by Norichika Aoki.

Ethier’s solo homer, his fourth, put the Dodgers ahead in the fourth.

NOTES: Dodgers LHP Ted Lilly was reinstated off the 15-day DL. RHP Matt Magill was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque. Lilly will spend a couple of days in the bullpen and is expected to start Saturday against St. Louis. … Dodgers INF Jerry Hairston has tendinitis in his left knee.

They have two choices for the 50th anniversary game in 2016: the San Francisco Bay Area and South Florida.

The 49ers’ new stadium is being built and is scheduled to open for the 2014 season. With the NFL showing a penchant for bringing is championship game to new venues — Dallas and Indianapolis very recently, New Jersey next February — Santa Clara would appear to have a strong chance. Only once has the Bay Area staged a Super Bowl, in 1985 at Stanford Stadium.

“I think with the new stadium … we can host a Super Bowl there,” said Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice. “It’s going to be awesome. So I realize there’s a lot of history at Candlestick. To stay competitive in the NFL, this is something we have really needed for a long, long time, and I think it’s going to be awesome.”

Not so awesome for the Miami area was a defeat in the state Legislature earlier this month that could severely damage its hopes of being chosen as the 2016 host. Or, for that matter, for South Florida to beat Houston for the 2017 game should it lose to San Francisco for the 50th edition. Both sites will be decided Tuesday.

The Dolphins were denied public money for a stadium upgrade. Multibillionaire Dolphins owner Stephen Ross contends $350 million in stadium improvements are badly needed, but he doesn’t want to pay for them by himself. Nor does he want a scaled-down renovation of the 26-year-old facility.

“The House leadership has made our efforts to bring the Super Bowl back to Miami and South Florida much more difficult,” said Rodney Barreto, chairman of the South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee.

Miami does have experience on its side, having hosted 10 Super Bowls, tied with New Orleans for the most. All of the South Florida title games have been successful, although the only outdoor Super Bowl played in the rain was held there in 2007 when Peyton Manning and the Colts won the championship.

“This is not the stadium we had hoped we could include in the bid,” Dolphins CEO Mike Dee said. “But we will be there when the NFL owners vote, and we’ll put our best foot forward.”

A three-quarters majority of the 32 owners is required on the first ballot Tuesday. If neither city gets that, then a simple majority wins on the next ballot.

The loser in the 2016 bidding will face Houston for the 2017 Super Bowl. Houston hosted the 2004 game.

Texans owner Bob McNair is cautious about his city’s chances, even with South Florida’s political and financial struggles.

“Certainly what happened doesn’t help Miami’s bid. There’s no doubt about that,” McNair said. “But that doesn’t say that the owners couldn’t decide to still go to Miami.”

For years, it was thought the NFL would seek to stage the 50th Super Bowl in Los Angeles, where the first one was played (but did not sell out) on Jan. 15, 1967. But with no franchise in LA and no suitable stadium projects approved, that hope disappeared.

Next Feb. 2, the game goes outdoors in a cold-weather site for the first time, at MetLife Stadium in the New Jersey Meadowlands. If that gamble pays off for the NFL, look for other cities in similar climates — Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Chicago, Denver — to bid for future Super Bowls.

The league also has expressed great satisfaction with how Indianapolis handled the big game in 2012. New Orleans is a regular bidder, and Commissioner Roger Goodell has said the power outage during last year’s game will not impact voting on the Big Easy hosting another Super Bowl.

The 2015 game will be played in the Phoenix area.

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AP Sports Writers Janie McCauley and Steven Wine contributed to this story.