Blake drives in 4, Billingsley gets NL-best 9th victory for Dodgers in 6-3 win at Texas

Billingsley gets NL-best 9th victory for Dodgers

ARLINGTON, Texas — Chad Billingsley earned his National League-best ninth victory, retiring 16 of 17 batters after an early error put the Dodgers behind, and Casey Blake drove in four runs for Los Angeles in a 6-3 victory over AL West-leading Texas on Sunday.

After shortstop Rafael Furcal botched an inning-ending double play with a bad throw that allowed two runs in the first, Billingsley (9-3) set down everybody but former Dodgers bust Andruw Jones until Nelson Cruz had a leadoff single in the seventh.

Jones homered for the second day in a row against the Dodgers leading off the fourth.

Blake had a sacrifice fly in the first and a three-run homer in the third off rookie left-hander Derek Holland (1-4).

It was the most RBIs for Blake in his 117 games since being traded to Los Angeles last July 26, and his best game since matching a career high with seven RBIs in his previous visit to Texas with Cleveland last June.

Texas lost an interleague series at home for the first time since 2006, after winning the opener 6-0. Los Angeles is 7-28 in American League parks the past five seasons.

Jonathan Broxton worked the ninth for his 16th save in 18 chances. The right-hander struck out three consecutive batters after allowing a leadoff single to Michael Young.

Billingsley, lifted after Jarrod Saltalamacchia singled to start the eighth, moved within one victory of injured Toronto starter Roy Halladay for the major league lead.

The Dodgers right-hander, whose 24 victories since April 30, 2008, are second only to Halladay’s 28 in that span, scattered five hits and allowed three runs. Only once in his 14 starts this season has he allowed more than three runs.

Cruz was quickly erased in the seventh on a double-play grounder, with Furcal successfully making that relay throw. Saltalamacchia was caught stealing right after Billingsley came out of the game.

Texas had the bases loaded in the first after Billingsley got what should have been an inning-ending double play grounder by Cruz. But Furcal made a high throw to first for an error after stepping on second base.

The Dodgers regained the lead for good on Blake’s 10th homer.

Holland, whose only major league victory came in relief, gave up four runs on five hits and four walks in five innings. He struck out two.

James Loney and Brad Ausmus had run-scoring singles in the seventh, after Blake had a leadoff double.

The Dodgers manufactured a quick run after Juan Pierre led off the game with a walk. Furcal attempted a sacrifice bunt, but ended up with a single when he placed it perfectly between the fielders. Orlando Hudson then had a sacrifice bunt before Blake’s sacrifice fly.

NOTES: Dodgers manager Joe Torre got his 2,193th career victory, within one of Sparky Anderson for fifth on the career list. … Pierre, among the NL leaders with a .343 batting average, was the only Dodgers batter without a hit. He was 0 for 3, but did walk twice and score two runs. … Rangers 1B Chris Davis, the left-hander who leads the majors with 92 strikeouts in his 59 games, was out of the starting lineup even though Texas was facing a right-handed pitcher. Manager Ron Washington said Davis needed a “mental break.” … Texas played its last scheduled day game at home until Aug. 16.