• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Dodgers beat Tigers for 3rd straight win

Jun 22, 2011 - 6:07 AM Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Andre Ethier hit a two-run home run to help lead Los Angeles past Detroit, 6-1, in the second installment of a three-game series.

Chad Billingsley (6-6) allowed one run on six hits and two walks through 5 1/3 innings for the win. He also struck out six in the Dodgers' third straight victory.

Max Scherzer (9-3) went six innings, allowing six runs on nine hits and two walks as the Tigers lost for the fifth time in seven games.

Matt Kemp stole two bases in the seventh inning to make him just the second Dodger all time to have 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases before the All-Star break. Dodgers first base coach Davey Lopes was the only other Dodger to accomplished that feat in 1979.

"Davey is one of my teachers so this is special. He's pointing things out to me. I feel like we're on a roll," said Kemp.

James Loney worked a one-out walk and was followed by an Aaron Miles single to put runners on the corners in the second inning. A.J. Ellis then lined a ball into right to bring Loney across the plate.

A Tony Gwynn walk loaded the bases, but the Dodgers would not be able to get anything out of the situation after Billingsley hit a grounder to first and Victor Martinez threw home for the force out, and Dee Gordon hit another bouncer to Martinez to end the inning and keep it a 1-0 game.

Detroit got the run back in the fourth after having the first three batters reach base. Don Kelly walked and Brennan Boesch followed with a single before Martinez slapped a base hit up the middle to score Kelly and knot the game at 1-1.

Loney led off the bottom half of the frame with a blooper into shallow left field, allowing him to take second. Miles then grounded to first and Martinez threw to second, catching Loney in a rundown as he wandered too far off the bag. During the rundown, Miles took second and later advanced to third on a groundout by Ellis. Gwynn then hit a dribbler to the left side of the mound but Scherzer's bare-handed grab and throw to first was a split-second late and Miles took home, giving LA a 2-1 advantage.

The Dodgers extended their lead in the fifth when Ethier pulled a 3-0 fastball into the right-field bleachers.

Down 4-1, Detroit had a chance to get back into the game after loading the bases with one out in the sixth inning. Consecutive singles by Boesch and Martinez, and a one-out Alex Avila walk knocked Billingsley off the mound.

Mike MacDougal took the bump next and needed just two pitches to get out of the jam when pinch-hitter Miguel Cabrera grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.

"We ran into a couple of hot pitchers the last two nights. We just didn't do anything offensively," said Detroit manager Jim Leyland about his team's offense.

Los Angeles then put the game away with a two-run sixth. Miles led off the inning with a single and after two quick outs, pinch-hitter Trent Oeltjen laced a double into the right-center gap to score Miles. Gordon then placed a double to left field to bring home Oeltjen as Austin Jackson's throw home was wide to the left.

Game Notes

Detroit fell to 2-6 in interleague play this year and Los Angeles rose to 3-2.