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HOUSTON (AP) -
Chad Billingsley
didn't have much to say about his dominating performance against the
Houston Astros
on Thursday night.
That's OK. Everyone else couldn't stop raving about it.
Billingsley pitched three-hit ball into the eighth inning and
Manny Ramirez
and
Casey Blake
each drove in a run, leading the
Los Angeles Dodgers
to a 2-0 win over the Astros.
''How about that game the kid pitched?'' Dodgers manager
Joe Torre
asked. ''It was something.''
Billingsley (4-0) has won his first four starts of the season, the first Dodgers pitcher to do so since
Kazuhisa Ishii
won his first six in 2002.
Houston's
Geoff Blum
had seen Billingsley a few times before, but never like this.
''It was electric,'' he said. ''It was crazy. I had actually gotten some good hitting counts and he was still throwing 90
mph, what looked like a slider. His depth is impressive. He had us off balance.''
He was helped by double plays that ended the second, fifth and sixth innings. Billingsley halted Houston's recent torrid hitting
streak where the team had 11 hits in each of the previous three games. The win broke a two-game skid for the Dodgers.
''I just wanted to go deep in this game and try to get a win after losing those first two,'' Billingsley said. ''We had to
get back on track.''
Ramirez had an RBI single in the first inning and Blake added the game's other run on a double in the seventh.
Billingsley retired
Ivan Rodriguez
to start the eighth inning before he was chased on a single by
Michael Bourn
. That hit bounced off the glove of Blake.
In 7 1-3 innings, Billingsley struck out five and walked two in his 100th major league appearance. He was replaced by
Jonathan Broxton
, who retired the next two batters before running into some trouble in the ninth.
Miguel Tejada
singled in the ninth before Broxton struck out
Lance Berkman
and
Carlos Lee
. Tejada moved to second on defensive indifference before Broxton hit Blum with a pitch.
Tejada advanced to third on a wild pitch before
Darin Erstad
grounded out to end the game and give Broxton the save.
Torre said Billingsley could have stayed in, but he needed to get Broxton in because he hadn't pitched since Friday.
Blake drove in
Matt Kemp
and made it 2-0 with his double that landed in the corner of right field in the seventh inning.
Ramirez put Los Angeles ahead early with a run-scoring single in the first inning. Houston starter
Wandy Rodriguez
(1-2) settled down after that hit and retired the next six batters.
With one out in the fifth,
Orlando Hudson
doubled on a flyball that landed just inside the fence near the bullpen in right field. But Bourn zipped it to Kaz Matsui
who got it to Blum in time to tag a sliding Hudson just before he reached third base. Rodriguez struck out Ramirez to end
the inning and retired the next three batters before he was replaced by
Geoff Geary
for the seventh with a high pitch count.
Rodriguez allowed five hits and one run while striking out four in six innings.
Astros manager
Cecil Cooper
was impressed with how Rodriguez got back on track after a rocky start on Thursday.
''I'd say he's growing up, I think,'' Cooper said. ''I think he's becoming a pitcher because I don't think he had his good
stuff tonight ... he couldn't really, really locate early with his fastball, but he stayed in the game. That to me shows he's
making giant strides with what we want him to do.''
Geary gave up two hits and one run in two innings before he was replaced by
Wesley Wright
. Wright allowed one hit in the ninth.
Notes: RHP
Cory Wade
, who is on the 15-day disabled list with bursitis in his right shoulder, threw 20 pitches on Thursday. Torre said he was
a ''little rusty'' but felt good. ''We'll try to extend it Sunday and make more decisions from there.'' ... Astros closer
Jose Valverde
, who injured his leg Tuesday, should be available by the weekend. Valverde said he felt much better on Thursday and is eager
to play again.
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