MILWAUKEE -- Eleven hours earlier, Craig Counsell sat in the very same chair at the very same table having just been introduced as the Milwaukee Brewers' new manager and was asked about the prospect of facing left-hander Clayton Kershaw in his managerial debut.

"That's the big leagues," Counsell said Monday morning. "There's challenges every night, and this is just the first of many. I'm perfectly fine -- I'm happy about it. It's going to be a good story someday."

He certainly will have a story to tell.

In one of their more unlikely performances of the season, the Brewers rallied late, chasing Kershaw in the eighth inning before getting the go-ahead run on an infield single by Ryan Braun for a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers Monday night at Miller Park.

"It's a nice feeling," Counsell said. "It's one of those games you can list so many guys that played a part in it. That's a great way to start it, getting a team win like that."

For much of the game, it looked like Counsell's debut would be one to forget.

Kershaw carved up the Brewers through his first seven innings of work, scattering three hits without a walk. He struck out the first four batters he faced and had eight for the game and only faced one real challenge, allowing back-to-back triples to shortstop Hector Gomez and pinch-hitter Gerardo Parra in the sixth.

Center fielder Carlos Gomez reached on a fielder's choice to bring up right fielder Ryan Braun, who ended the threat with his second strikeout of the day.

Kershaw breezed through the seventh, then retired second baseman Elian Herrera to open the eighth before Hector Gomez made it a one-run game with his first career home run, a solo shot to left-center.

Never before had Kershaw allowed a home run and triple to a player in one game.

Counsell made his first big move as manager, sending up the Brewers' best hitter, left-handed-batting Adam Lind, to pinch-hit against Kershaw. Lind, who had never faced the Cy Young Award winner before, capped off a nine-pitch battle with a double off the wall in right-center, putting the tying run in scoring position and closing the book on Kershaw's day.

"I felt fine," Kershaw said. "Gomez hit a good pitch. The ball was in, he was just ready to ambush and did a good job, and Lind, I just threw a slider right down the middle, overthrew it and he hit it hard."

Bench coach Tim Wallach had taken over after manager Don Mattingly was ejected in the third inning, and Wallach went to the bullpen, summoning right-hander Chris Hatcher to face Carlos Gomez, who tied the game with a double to left.

Hatcher got first baseman Jason Rogers to ground out for the second out, bringing up Braun, who worked the count even before chopping a soft grounder to third baseman Juan Uribe.

Uribe fielded it and got the throw off to first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, but first base umpire Paul Emmel ruled Braun safe. The umpires reviewed the play for an estimated 1 minute, 40 seconds before ruling the call stood, and Milwaukee had the lead.

"It was a bang-bang play," Counsell said. "That's why they put (replay) in there. Bang-bang. He just beat it."

Los Angeles' offense had given Kershaw an early lead.

Center fielder Joc Pederson ripped right-hander Kyle Lohse's third pitch of the game to right-center for his seventh home run of the season, and the Dodgers added two more in the fourth on an RBI double by catcher Yasmani Grandal and a sacrifice fly by Uribe. But they were shut down by Milwaukee's bullpen, which was anchored by two scoreless innings from right-hander Michael Blazek (2-0).

"I think after the fourth, we didn't do a whole lot of things offensively," Mattingly said. "Their bullpen came in and did a nice job of keeping us from scoring, so we weren't able to add on. They nick us for one, the kid (Hector Gomez) hits a triple and then obviously hits the homer, so that kind of gets them going. And we just weren't really able to add on at that point."

Lohse lasted five innings and was charged with three runs on four hits and three walks with four strikeouts.

NOTES: Monday marked the managerial debut of Craig Counsell, who the Brewers announced as Ron Roenicke's replacement earlier in the day. Counsell had spent the last three seasons in Milwaukee's front office after playing six of his 16 seasons with the Brewers. Roenicke was fired Sunday night after the team opened the season 7-18. ... Los Angeles made a handful of roster moves, recalling LHP Daniel Coulombe from Triple-A Oklahoma City and acquiring RHP Matt West from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for cash considerations. To make room for West on the roster, the team transferred LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu to the 60-day disabled list. Ryu has been out since spring training because of a left shoulder impingement. He's expected to return in early June.