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Loney, Billingsley lead Dodgers past Rockies

Sep 13, 2008 - 5:37 AM By Brady Delander PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

DENVER (Ticker) -- James Loney delivered a three-run double in the ninth inning, breaking open a close game and ending any doubt that the Los Angeles Dodgers would remain scorching hot.

Matt Kemp collected two hits and drove in a pair of runs and Chad Billingsley pitched six solid innings as the Dodgers posted their 11th win in 12 games with a 7-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Friday.

"Guys have confidence right now," Loney said. "If one guy doesn't do the job, the next guy will usually pick it up. That's the kind of confidence you have to have in a teammate."

Los Angeles (76-71) also received a double and a pair of runs scored from Nomar Garciaparra and an RBI single from Manny Ramirez to remain 3 1/2 games ahead of Arizona (72-74) in the National League West. The Diamondbacks posted a 3-2 triumph over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday.

Colorado, which dropped its sixth straight, took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on Matt Holliday's 25th home run of the season.

Los Angeles responded in the second as Kemp doubled off the wall in right-center field to score Garciaparra. Kemp, who moved to third base on the play as right fielder Brad Hawpe botched the ricochet, came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Blake DeWitt, giving the Dodgers a 2-1 edge.

"We jell together and we're getting the job done, both on the pitching side and on the hitting side," Kemp said. "Everything is just clicking for us right now."

Troy Tulowitzki doubled with one out in the second and scored on a single by Clint Barmes to even the game at 2-2. But Los Angeles moved ahead for good in the fourth on Kemp's RBI single.

"They've got a lot of things going their way because they are playing good baseball," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "Their pitching staff leads the National League in ERA, which makes a lot of things go your way. They can attack you a bunch of different ways."

Ramirez pushed the lead to 4-2 in the seventh with a line-drive RBI single that boomed off the scoreboard in right field. Loney provided the final margin with his three-run double in the ninth.

"You're never comfortable in this ballpark," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. "James made it a lot better."

Billingsley (15-10) yielded two runs and six hits in posting his third straight win. The righthander walked three, struck out three and hit a batter.

"Chad's stuff was good, but he didn't have great command," Torre said. "But he basically goes to the office and gets the job done."

Jeff Francis (4-10) also worked six innings, surrendering three runs and six hits. The Canadian lefthander issued a pair of walks with five strikeouts.

Holliday and Hawpe each had two hits for the Rockies, who recorded just one after the third inning.