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Billingsley pitches Dodgers past Cubs

Aug 4, 2012 - 5:25 AM Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Chad Billingsley struck out seven over seven strong innings and A.J. Ellis recorded his first career multi-homer game Friday as the Dodgers downed the Cubs, 6-1, in the opener of a three-game set.

Billingsley (7-9) surrendered one run on four hits and two walks to earn his third consecutive victory.

Ellis clubbed a pair of a solo shots and added an RBI single, while Hanley Ramirez stroked a two-run single and scored once to help the Dodgers snap a three-game skid.

"I'm happy that it came in a win," said Ellis of his two-homer game. "It was a great team win tonight. Chad was the key. He attacked the strike zone and hit both sides of the plate."

Jeff Samardzija (7-9) absorbed the loss, giving up five runs on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings. Luis Valbuena knocked in the lone run for Chicago, which has dropped three straight games.

"I wasn't very consistent," admitted Samardzija. "A couple of mistakes on my part and that was the difference in the game. You leave the ball over the plate, they'll make you pay for it."

Ellis clubbed his first homer of the night into left-center field to give LA a 1-0 lead in the third, but Chicago responded in the fifth as Darwin Barney stroked a one-out single and Valbuena followed with a double down the first- base line to plate Barney and knot the game at 1-1.

LA recaptured the lead for good in the bottom half as Ramirez doubled to start the frame and quickly scored as James Loney followed with a Tobago of his own.

Loney then moved to third on a flyout before Ellis plated him with a line- drive single to left to make it a 3-1 contest.

The Dodgers tacked on two more in the sixth as Mark Ellis singled and Matt Kemp followed with a hit to put men on second and third with no outs.

Ramirez then ripped a line-drive single two batters later to plate a pair as the home team grabbed a 5-1 advantage and knocked Samardzija out of the game.

A.J. Ellis then clubbed his second homer of the game in the seventh, a leadoff blast over the wall in right-center to extend the lead to 6-1.

Game Notes

LA outfielder Shane Victorino, who the club acquired from Philadelphia on Tuesday, recorded his first hit as a Dodger with a one-out single in the seventh...Billingsley improved to 5-4 in 12 lifetime appearances against the Cubs...Before the game, the Dodgers acquired pitcher Joe Blanton from the Phillies in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.