• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Stultz, Dodgers blank White Sox

Jun 26, 2008 - 6:14 AM By Jonathan Raber PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- Stults had a career night, tossing a complete game four-hit shutout to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 5-0 interleague victory over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.

Blake DeWitt broke out of a slump with two RBI as the Dodgers won for the only second time in seven chances against the White Sox.

Making his second start of the season and ninth career after being called up from Class AAA Las Vegas nine days ago, Stults has been a pleasant surprise for the injury-riddled rotation.

"You have to believe that you are good enough to pitch here," said the 28-year-old lefthander, who has seen limited time with the Dodgers over the past three seasons. "I wasn't too disappointed when I didn't make the team (out of spring training) because I kind of understood (the decision).

"I just wanted to find my consistency and prove to them that I could come up, if they did give me an opportunity, that I could give them quality starts."

Stults (2-0) has won both games, setting a career high in innings pitched, while striking out three and walking one on 116 pitches to out-duel Chicago starter Gavin Floyd.

"He's phenomenal," DeWitt said. "He went out there from the first inning on and never gave in."

It was the second complete game and second shutout of the season for Los Angeles. With the crowd on its feet cheering him on, Stults got Nick Swisher to fly out to Juan Pierre in left to secure the win.

"I went out for the ninth and I was like, this could be something special," Stults said. "I tried to go at guys and just get out of there."

Stults has allowed just one run in 15 innings thus far, dropping his ERA to 0.60 for the season.

Floyd (8-4), who has been an early-season surprise as one of the American League's top pitchers, entered having won a career-high four straight decisions. He was dealt the loss, giving up four earned runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings.

The righthander was pulled after loading the bases with one out in the fifth.

"I think the first couple of innings, (Floyd) didn't get it going," White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen said. "He just had a couple of bad innings, but continued to throw the ball good."

DeWitt provided the Dodgers some separation in the fourth. After James Loney singled to extend his hitting streak to 12 games and Matt Kemp walked to start the inning, DeWitt hit a sharp liner to the corner in right field, allowing Loney and Kemp to score easily for the 4-0 advantage.

The RBI was the first in 20 games for DeWitt, who was named the National League Rookie of the Month for May.

"With baseball you're going to struggle," DeWitt said. "Sometimes it's going to be longer than others, sometimes it may one or two days. You've got to be consistent."

Stults then helped his own cause, knocking in his first career run with a sharply hit sacrifice fly that plated DeWitt.

The White Sox sluggers, meanwhile, struggled to solve Stults, as they were held to no extra-base hits.

"That's probably one of the best offenses in (either) league," Dodgers catcher Russell Martin said. "To do what he did against a powerhouse like that is impressive."

Guillen said a possible reason for the hitting struggles was unfamiliarity with the newly-arrived Stults.

"It's seems like every time we face somebody we don't know, we have trouble," Guillen said.

Jermaine Dye, who had homered in seven of eight games, managed a single in the first for Chicago, which has dropped 10 of its last 11 on the road.

Pierre got the Dodgers going in the first inning, singling to left before stealing second and advancing to third on the throw. Andre Ethier then knocked him in with a single, followed by Martin's RBI single two batters later that made it 2-0.

Stults would make sure that the lead held up.

"Anytime you can get a five-run lead, especially that first inning when we got two runs, you can go out there and try to get settled in a little bit better," Stults said.