(My Sportsbook) -
Los Angeles Dodgers red-hot starter Chad Billingsley will try to continue his unbeaten start to the season Tuesday on the road in the second test of a three-game series against the NL West-rival
San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park.
Billingsley is 4-0 with a 2.05 earned run average in four starts so far this season, and is coming off a 2-0 win at Houston on April 23. He held the Astros to three hits over a season-high 7 1/3-scoreless innings and struck out five batters. Billingsley has lasted at least six innings in each of his outings this season.
The young right-hander already beat San Francisco this season on April 13, allowing just one run and five hits in seven innings of an 11-1 win. Billingsley also fanned 11 batters and improved to 4-0 with a 3.33 ERA in 11 career games, four of which have been starts, against the Giants.
Los Angeles will try to stop a two-game slide when it continues a nine-game road trip Tuesday night. The Dodgers fell to 3-4 on the trek after Monday's 5-4 loss to the Giants in the series opener, as Casey Blake hit a two-run homer and Manny Ramirez ended 2-for-4 with an RBI in defeat.
Randy Wolf pitched the first six innings for LA, allowing three runs on six hits in the no-decision. Ronald Belisario gave up a pair of runs on as many hits in two innings to take the loss.
San Francisco has won six of its last seven games and opened a six-game homestand last night on a positive note. Bengie Molina came on as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning and his RBI ground out put the Giants ahead for good and Edgar Renteria went 2-for-4 with two runs scored in the win.
Giants starter Barry Zito lasted 6 1/3 innings and was reached for three runs on five hits in a no-decision. Merkin Valdez tossed 1 2/3 innings of relief, giving up one run on two hits, to collect the win. Brian Wilson then struck out the side in the ninth to pick up his fourth save of the year.
Jonathan Sanchez will handle pitching duties for the Giants on Tuesday and he is 1-1 with a 3,65 earned run average in three games (two starts) this season.
Sanchez last took the hill on April 25 at Arizona and tossed a scoreless inning of relief in a 5-3 victory. In his previous start on April 17 in a 2-0 win versus the Diamondbacks, Sanchez hurled 6 2/3 shutout innings for the victory.
The left-hander is 0-1 with a 5.30 ERA in six career games, three starts, against the Dodgers.
Los Angeles swept the Giants in three games at Chavez Ravine from April 13-16 and has won four of the last six meetings.