Billingsley Stifles Pads To Lift Dodgers

SAN DIEGO (AP) _ Chad Billingsley shut down San Diego's resurgent offense with seven brilliant innings of four-hit ball that carried the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 5-0 win over the Padres on Sunday.

Sunday, September 2nd 2007, 7:32 pm

By: News On 6

SAN DIEGO (AP) _ Chad Billingsley shut down San Diego's resurgent offense with seven brilliant innings of four-hit ball that carried the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 5-0 win over the Padres on Sunday.

Billingsley beat the Padres for the third time this season by matching his career-high with nine strikeouts against only one walk and allowing only one baserunner as far as second base. The Dodgers, trying to stay in the playoff hunt, avoided a three-game sweep.

San Diego, which went into the day one percentage point ahead of Arizona in the NL West, retained its three-game wild-card lead over Philadelphia, which lost 7-6 at Florida. The Padres lost for just the fourth time in 13 games.

Billingsley (10-4) also beat the Padres in relief in a 5-4, 17-inning victory at Petco Park on April 29, and again on July 1 at Dodger Stadium after he moved into the rotation. It was the third time Billingsley struck out nine; the previous time was July 1.

Billingsley and four relievers combined on a six-hitter. After the Padres loaded the bases against Scott Proctor and Joe Beimel with one out in the eighth, Jonathan Broxton came on and struck out Mike Cameron with a 99-mph fastball and Adrian Gonzalez with a full-count, 88-mph slider.

Rafael Furcal had three singles, a walk and tied his career-high with three stolen bases for the Dodgers. Matt Kemp had three hits, an RBI and scored twice.

San Diego's bats were quiet after consecutive wins by scores of 6-4 and 7-0. Adrian Gonzalez doubled leading off the fourth and was stranded. He was the only Padres baserunner to get as far as second against Billingsley.

The Dodgers got the only run they needed in the sixth when Andre Ethier's one-out single off Justin Germano scored Matt Kemp, who hit a leadoff single and stole second.

They added four more against Kevin Cameron in the seventh, three of which were unearned due to the reliever's error. Furcal drew a leadoff walk and stole second before Cameron bobbled Juan Pierre's bunt for an error, putting runners on first and third. Kemp and Jeff Kent followed with run-scoring singles to chase Cameron, and James Loney hit a two-run double off Joe Thatcher.

Germano (7-8) lost for the eighth time in 10 decisions after winning his first five decisions. He allowed one run and eight hits in six innings, struck out five and walked three.

Notes: The Dodgers stranded 10 baserunners and the Padres stranded seven. ... Padres LF Milton Bradley got the day off. Manager Bud Black said Bradley's left side was sore after Saturday night's game. ``It's nothing to be concerned with,'' Black said. Bradley, who spent time on the DL earlier this season with a strained left oblique, will be back in the starting lineup Monday afternoon at Arizona, Black said. ... C Josh Bard and 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff also got the day off. C Michael Barrett started a day after coming off a stint on the DL due to concussionlike symptoms. ... 3B Andy LaRoche was recalled by the Dodgers from Triple-A Las Vegas and started. LaRoche got the start a day after Shea Hillenbrand committed a two-base error and struck out twice in a 7-0 loss. Hillenbrand also struck out three times Friday night.