• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Billingsley goes the distance as Dodgers rout Astros

Jul 24, 2007 - 8:21 AM HOUSTON (Ticker) -- Chad Billingsley and Jeff Kent got the Los Angeles Dodgers' road trip off on the right foot with an easy 10-2 win over the punchless Houston Astros on Monday night.

Billingsley became the first Dodger to begin the season 7-0 since Matt Herges turned the trick with an 8-0 run in 2000.

Billingsley recorded his first career complete game and did not allow a run until Luke Scott hit a two-run home run with two outs in the ninth.

The second-year hurler struck out six and walked three, keeping the Astros off-balance by staying ahead in the count and getting outs with his fastball and curveball.

"I had pretty good command of my fastball," Billingsley said. "I wasn't trying to do too much, just move the ball in and out and mix in some curves. I was getting ahead of hitters and that helped.

"I knew I had a chance (at the shutout) in the seventh inning. I told myself to just keep doing what I've been doing. You never know about that when you come out in the first inning. You don't try to get too far ahead of yourself or try to do too much. You just go one out at a time."

Kent, who played for the Astros in 2004-05, went 4-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI before he was lifted for a pinch runner after recording his second double in the seventh inning.

Kent, who has reached base in 34 straight games, had his first four-hit game since September 18 when he also had four against the San Diego Padres.

Houston-area native James Loney added a three-run homer in the ninth inning off Brian Moehler to round out the scoring for the Dodgers, who out-hit the Astros, 17-5.

"It felt great to hit the home run," Loney said. "This is the first time I've played (at Minute Maid) since playing in the regional playoffs in high school. It was fun. Getting an opportunity to play here was a great experience.

"We scored a lot of runs and this was a good win for us. Chad threw a great game."

The NL West-leading Dodgers will play their next six games on the road and started their seven-game tour through Houston and Colorado by beating up the Astros, who had won 10 of their last 14 home games.

Before Monday, the Dodgers had lost three of four and four of six after winning four in a row for the first time since mid-June.

Billingsley got out of his biggest jam in the fifth inning when Eric Munson led off with a single and moved into scoring position when Eric Bruntlett followed with a walk.

Pinch hitter Morgan Ensberg hit a harmless flyout to left before catcher Russell Martin picked off Bruntlett with a snap throw over to first base. Billingsley then blew a fastball by Craig Biggio to end the threat sending the home team back on the field to a chorus of boos.

"That was a pretty good example of what he's capable of," Dodgers manager Grady Little said of Billingsley. "That was one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen and one of the first times I've ever been the happiest guy in the world to see a guy go 0-for-5 (at the plate).

"It came at a good time for us. It was what we needed to get back on track."

The Dodgers manufactured a run in the first inning when Kent singled home Rafael Furcal who led off the game with a single off Houston starter Chris Sampson (7-7).

Kent hit a one-out double in the fourth inning and then moved to third on a ground out by Luis Gonzalez. With Nomar Garciaparra at the plate, Sampson uncorked a wild pitch scoring Kent to make it 2-0.

The Dodgers doubled their lead in the fifth inning with four singles off Sampson. With two outs, Furcal and Juan Pierre scored on a single to center by Gonzalez, giving Billingsley plenty of room to work with against the Astros, who have scored just six runs in their last four games.

"I thought after we were just about shut down for three straight days we were about ready to bust out of this," Astros manager Phil Garner said. "But Billingsley certainly was doing something right out there. He was doing it mostly with a fastball, but he was hitting with his cutter or short slider or whatever he calls it."

For the first time in seven starts at Minute Maid Park, Sampson failed to pitch into the sixth inning. Entering Monday's game, he was 3-2 with a 2.83 in Houston, but he left after just five innings, allowing four runs on eight hits. He did not strike out or walk a batter.

"There is not much to feel good about tonight," Sampson said. "When you give up four runs in five innings, you can't exactly call that good pitching. I kept leaving my sinker up a little bit and I wasn't able to locate other pitches to get ahead of hitters."

Four straight hits by the Dodgers in the seventh made it 7-0. Martin, Kent and Gonzalez hit consecutive doubles before Garciaparra added another hit, capping a three-run inning off Houston reliever Dave Borkowski.