HOUSTON -- Chad Billingsley pitched eight strong innings and
Andre Ethier homered for the second straight game to lead the Los
Angeles Dodgers to a 5-2 win over the Houston Astros on Thursday.
Billingsley (8-7) gave up six hits, struck out five and did not
allow an earned run to win his fourth straight start. The Astros
scored in the fifth on J.R. Towles' two-out, two-run double that
followed Luis Maza's error at second base. Maza replaced Jeff Kent,
who left earlier in the inning with stiffness in his back.
Blake DeWitt had a two-run single and James Loney added a solo
homer and an RBI double for the Dodgers, who've won six of their
last seven road games.
Takashi Saito got the last three outs for his 14th save.