Los Angeles Galaxy forward Robbie Keane celebrates after he scored a goal against the Seattle Sounders in the first half of an MLS soccer match, Saturday, July 9, 2016 in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena gave his team a B-minus for the first half of its season. After back-to-back league victories, it seems the Galaxy are poised to pull up their final grade by season’s end.

L.A. held on for a gritty 1-0 win over Seattle on Saturday at CenturyLink Field as a clutch save off the line from A.J. DeLaGarza preserved a lead from Robbie Keane‘s 15th-minute goal.

The team that couldn’t stop blowing leads now has two straight clean sheets in MLS play and three straight across all competitions.

“We’re learning,” Arena told reporters after the game. “We lost points in maybe three or four games this year in similar games on the road. It’s good to see we’re growing and understanding what we need to do to close out games.

“On the day, you know you’re going to come in here and it’s never going to look real good. You just have to get a goal and grind it out, and we did.”

All three of the Galaxy’s losses this season came from goals given up in the final 15 minutes and stoppage time of games. During the first 16 matches of the season, L.A. (7-3-8) conceded 10 goals in the final 30 minutes.

The Sounders (5-10-2) outshot L.A. 22-7 Saturday. But when under pressure from a desperate Seattle team chasing a much-needed victory, the Galaxy defense did not break this time.

“We defended a lot tonight and we had to,” DeLaGarza said. “Those are games that we lost points on earlier in the year, and we got out of here with the win today.”

Keane scored his second goal in as many games since returning from international duty. The Irish striker, who celebrated his 36th birthday Friday, tallied his sixth goal this season in only eight games played.

Goalkeeper Brian Rowe recorded four saves to preserve the shutout, but the biggest save of the game came from DeLaGarza. The defender stopped a shot from Sounders rookie Jordan Morris after Rowe came off his line, leaving the net empty.

Steven Gerrard scores a goal against New England’s Bobby Shuttleworth to cap off the Galaxy’s 4-2 win on Sunday. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova // Daily Breeze/Press-Telegram

Steven Gerrard committed a costly defensive error that led to the Galaxy’s season-ending playoff loss to the Sounders at CenturyLink Field last season. Several months later, the 36-year-old midfielder will return to Seattle in truly fine form.

Gerrard is third in MLS with seven assists in 12 MLS games played heading into Saturday’s noon game. He is coming off his first multi-assist game of his short Galaxy career and has assists in back-to-back games.

“I don’t want to settle for that,” Gerrard said. “I want to keep pushing and keep trying to add to my numbers. Certainly in this position, I know I can create chances. I’ve done it all my career.”

The Galaxy will play their Western Conference rivals three times this month, twice in MLS road games and once at StubHub Center for a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal. While the series is also heated as the two teams consistently battle for top prizes, L.A. has nearly always come out on top.

“When they came into the league, I think that they called us out. They thought they’d challenge us, and it didn’t work out well for them,” forward Mike Magee said. “They’re still trying to be what the Galaxy is. They’re doing a great job. They have great fans and a great team, but I’d say, to be honest with you, they’re a little jealous.”

Seattle had a dreadful start to the season. Typically in the hunt for a top playoff spot, the Sounders are stuck at the bottom of the Western Conference with 17 points. Four of the team’s Western Conference-leading losses have come at home.

Robbie Keane (pictured in a match against NYCFC) scored to help the Galaxy beat Vancouver. Photo by Steve McCrank/Staff photographer

A three-game scoreless streak for Galaxy players at home is nothing Robbie Keane can’t fix. The Irish striker returned from a month of international duty and scored in the Galaxy’s 2-0 win over Vancouver on Monday at StubHub Center.

Keane has been hampered by injuries and missed five more games while with the Irish national team, but has scored in five goals in six MLS appearances. He’s one of the league’s leaders in goals per 90 minutes played, averaging 0.71 goals per 90 minutes.

His score against Vancouver was a beauty as he curled a long-distance shot into the top corner.

“Robbie’s been putting them in top corners for 20 odd years,” Vancouver head coach Carl Robinson said. “I’m sick of seeing it to be fair. He tried to smile at me and I didn’t want to give him a smile back, but he’s a top, top player.”

Steven Gerrard notched two assists in the game, serving the ball in for Keane and sending a corner kick in for Jeff Larentowicz, who headed home his first goal of the season in the 47th minute.

Larentowicz admitted that he got away with a push, but was happy to record his first goal in a Galaxy uniform.

“It’s good (to contribute),” Larentowicz said. “That’s the goal, to be in the lineup and to be with the team, to help us win games. All those things came together tonight.”

Los Angeles Galaxy forward Robbie Keane celebrates scoring against the New England Revolution during the first half of an MLS soccer game on Sunday, May 8, 2016 in Carson, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

The Galaxy haven’t won an MLS game since May 8. They’re on a seven-game winless streak, but they have a little momentum from a U.S. Open Cup win on the road now and their star strikers back.

Gyasi Zardes and Robbie Keane are back after international duty and available for the team’s 7:30 p.m. game against Vancouver on Monday.

The Galaxy have struggled to close out games this season, allowing six goals in the final 15 minutes of games.