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Dodgers rout Giants, get within 1 game in NL West

Jul 29, 2012 - 2:25 AM San Francisco, CA (Sports Network) - Chad Billingsley shut down the first- place Giants and Los Angeles took the middle installment of a three-game set, 10-0.

Billingsley (6-9) won his second straight outing on the heels of a five-game losing streak. The right-hander tossed 7 1/3 innings, limiting the Giants to four hits. He struck out two and did not issue a walk.

Matt Kemp and A.J. Ellis hit home runs for Los Angeles, which has won the first two games of the series and now sits a game back of San Francisco for first place in the National League West. Kemp finished with four hits and four RBI.

"Every series is important until the end of the season," Kemp said. "Second half is always the most exciting part of baseball, you know, people are in the hunt, trying to make the playoffs. The Giants are a good team over there. We just have to keep playing our game and keep going."

"It's the major leagues, you know nothing's easy here," Giants starter Barry Zito (8-7) said. "We're excited to come down to the wire and fight it out for the next two months.

The Dodgers got to the red-hot Zito, who had only allowed three runs in 14 innings in two starts since the All-Star break. Los Angeles tagged the lefty for four runs on seven hits and a walk in 5 1/3 innings.

Zito's first-inning struggles continued. Mark Ellis led off with a base hit and, two batters later, Kemp crushed his 15th homer of the year to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead. In the first inning this season, Zito has allowed 16 runs -- 14 earned -- in 20 innings.

Luis Cruz extended his hitting streak to 11 games and singled to start the fifth inning. Ellis lined a double into the left-field corner and Billingsley followed with a hard sacrifice fly to left.

The Dodgers picked up another run in the sixth when Jerry Hairston, Jr. doubled home Hanley Ramirez.

Ellis slammed a fastball over the left-field fence to start the seventh. The Dodgers put two more runs on the board in the seventh after Brandon Crawford's two-out error extended the inning. Kemp and Ramirez followed with back-to-back doubles, giving Los Angeles a commanding 7-0 lead.

The Giants chased Billingsley with a pair of singles in the eighth, but Javy Guerra came on to strand the bases loaded and escape the threat.

Kemp picked up his fourth hit and knocked in his fourth run with a double in the ninth inning and Ramirez drove in two more with a single up the middle.

Guerra remained in the game and retired the Giants in order in the ninth.

Game Notes

Billingsley is 8-6 with a 3.17 earned run average in his career against San Francisco (50 earned runs in 142 1/3 innings)...The Giants have lost three straight for the first time since July 3-5 when they were swept by the Nationals...Marco Scutaro, who was acquired in a trade from Colorado Friday night, started at third base in his Giants debut, and went 1-for-3...Prior to the game, the Giants placed third baseman Pablo Sandoval on the 15-day disabled list, activated infielder Aubrey Huff from the 15-day DL and designated Emmanuel Burriss for assignment...The Dodgers went 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position and stranded four...The Giants went 1-for-9 with RISP and left five on base.