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Billingsley, six-run first fuel Dodgers past Marlins

Jul 14, 2008 - 12:59 AM LOS ANGELES (Ticker) - Chad Billingsley struck out a career-high 13 batters and James Loney's two-run double highlighted a six-run first inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers snapped a three-game losing streak with a 9-1 triumph over the Florida Marlins on Sunday.

Billingsley (9-8) looked shaky in the first inning, allowing a leadoff single to Alfredo Amezaga and a RBI double to Luis Gonzalez, but settled down by retiring 15 of the next 17 batters he faced. He allowed one run and five hits in seven innings without allowing a walk.

"I had good command of everything," Billingsley said. "I was keeping the ball down, keeping them off balance it was a good way to finish up. I didn't walk anybody, which might be the first time in my career I've done that."

Los Angeles avoided getting swept by Florida by getting to Andrew Miller (5-9) before he was relieved after allowing seven runs and five hits in just 1.2 innings.

"We all got big hits when we needed them and runners in scoring position," Los Angeles' Matt Kemp said. "We need to do that more consistently. The pitching is there."

The Dodgers hit the righthander hard from the beginning of the game, with the first six batters both reaching base and scoring.

Kemp had three hits, scored twice and drove in a pair and Nomar Garciaparra also had a multi-hit game with two RBI before being replaced by Angel Berroa in the top of the sixth inning.

"If I can get on base, I can steal those bases and do those things I need to do to get us runs," Kemp said. "I am concentrating on getting on base and being more consistent."

Miller, who walked five of the 15 batters he faced, gave up another run in the second inning as Kemp scored on Garciaparra's double.

The Dodgers added two more runs in the fifth inning when Kemp singled home Andy LaRoche and Luis Maza.

"The key word is rhythm," Miller said. "That's what we talk about in the beginning of the year. I went out there, and it was kind of hard to get in a groove. When something like that happens right away and you get into the stretch, it just starts snowballing. I've got to do a better job cranking it up early, and limiting the damage."

The nine runs the Dodgers scored was the most since a 10-7 victory over the San Francisco Giants on July 4. They had not had more than five runs in any of the previous eight games.

"We've been swinging the bat pretty good these past two weeks," Kemp said. "We will get a little mental break and rest our bodies and we'll be good the rest of the year."