Sports

Billingsley Helps Dodgers Shut Down Astros

HOUSTON (AP) ― Chad Billingsley pitched eight strong innings and Andre Ethier homered for the second straight game to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 5-2 win over the Houston Astros on Thursday.

Billingsley (8-7) gave up six hits, struck out five and did not allow an earned run to win his fourth straight start. The Astros scored in the fifth on J.R. Towles' two-out, two-run double that followed Luis Maza's error at second base. Maza replaced Jeff Kent, who left earlier in the inning with stiffness in his back.

Blake DeWitt had a two-run single and James Loney added a solo homer and an RBI double for the Dodgers, who've won six of their last seven road games.

Takashi Saito got the last three outs for his 14th save.

Los Angeles scored all its runs off Brandon Backe (5-9) and took the lead in the first inning for the fourth straight game.

With two outs, Russell Martin singled and Kent walked before Loney dropped a blooper just inside the left-field line. The ball bounced into the stands for a ground-rule double, scoring Martin but forcing Kent to stop at third.

DeWitt followed with a two-run single to right-center. The rookie third baseman was 3-for-25 in his previous 10 games.

Ethier led off the third inning with a solo homer to left, his ninth of the season. He also hit a solo shot in Wednesday's 4-1 victory.

Billingsley didn't allow a baserunner through the first three innings. Mark Loretta singled with one out in the fourth, but Lance Berkman grounded into a double play.

Kent lined out to end the Dodgers' fifth and left the game before the Houston half of the inning with stiffness in his back. Maza, who started the game at shortstop, moved to Kent's spot and Angel Berroa came into the game to take Maza's position.

With two outs, Maza mishandled Geoff Blum's grounder and Hunter Pence followed with a single to right. Towles then doubled off the left-field scoreboard to make it 4-2. Towles was called up from the minors on Tuesday night after regular catcher Humberto Quintero suffered a concussion when he was hit in the head with a bat.

Loney led off the sixth with a solo homer to left, his seventh.

Carlos Lee doubled in the sixth, but Billingsley retired the other three hitters he faced. Billingsley threw only 66 pitches in the first six innings.

He still looked strong in the seventh, striking out Pence and Towles to end the inning. Loretta singled with two outs in the eighth, but Billingsley struck out Berkman looking. The Astros' slugger, leading all NL first baseman in All-Star ballots, went 1-for-12 in the series.

Doug Brocail started the ninth for Houston and was ejected by home-plate umpire Tim Timmons for arguing a ball-four call to Matt Kemp. Tim Byrdak replaced Brocail.

(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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