Ryan Dempster rebounds from poor start, pitches Cubs past Dodgers 7-0

Dempster rebounds, Cubs beat Dodgers 7-0

CHICAGO — Ryan Dempster bounced back from his worst start of the season, pitching seven sharp innings for the Chicago Cubs in a 7-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday.

Milton Bradley had three hits and Reed Johnson homered for the Cubs, who have won four of five since losing a season-worst eight straight games. Mike Fontenot had two extra-base hits and two RBIs.

Dempster (4-3) allowed just three hits with one walk, striking out five. It was Los Angeles’ largest loss of the season.

The Dodgers, who own the best record in the majors, have dropped two straight after winning four in a row. Los Angeles has not lost more than two consecutive games all year.

Dodgers starter Eric Stults (4-2) had another short outing. After pitching 4 1-3 innings in his previous start at Colorado, he lasted three-plus innings against the Cubs, giving up four runs and six hits.

In his previous start on Monday, Dempster gave up six runs and seven hits in four innings to Pittsburgh as Chicago lost its eighth straight. After his outing ended, he took out his frustrations on the Gatorade machine in the dugout, two days before Carlos Zambrano took a bat to the machine.

It was Dempster’s shortest outing since Game 1 of the NL division series against the Dodgers on Oct. 1, when he matched a career high with seven walks in 4 2-3 innings of Chicago’s 7-2 loss.

Johnson led off the second inning with a single. With two outs, he stole second and scored on Fontenot’s double.

Ryan Theriot was hit by a pitch leading off the third and advanced to third on Bradley’s single. After Bradley was caught trying to steal second, Johnson placed a perfect bunt with two outs. Stults fielded the ball, then slipped on the grass and was not able to make a throw. Theriot, who got a good jump, scored easily on the single.

After a leadoff walk to Bobby Scales in the fourth, Fontenot ended Stults’ day with an RBI triple to right-center. Dodgers reliever Guillermo Mota allowed an RBI single to Theriot.

In the fifth, Dodgers reliever Jeff Weaver walked in a run and Derrek Lee scored on Scales’ double-play ball.

Johnson tagged Weaver for a solo shot in the seventh, his third of the season.