Dodgers crush Pirates behind Ramirez, Billingsley
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hanley Ramirez finished with three hits, two RBI and two runs scored, while Chad Billingsley continued his post-All-Star break roll as the Los Angeles Dodgers blanked the Pittsburgh Pirates, 11-0, at PNC Park.
Billingsley (9-9) won his fifth straight decision, giving up just five hits with five strikeouts and one walk over eight shutout frames. He received plenty of support, as Luis Cruz finished with three hits and three runs batted in and Matt Kemp had two hits, two runs scored and one driven in for the Dodgers, who have won three straight and five of six overall.
"He's been good since he came up. The ball jumps off this kid's bat," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said about Cruz's contributions.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Kevin Correia (9-7) took the loss, giving up six runs -- five earned -- on seven hits with three strikeouts and one walk over six frames. Garrett Jones, one game after registering four hits and three RBI, doubled in the loss, Pittsburgh's fifth in the last six games.
"He's been effective. He's been on a roll," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said of Billingsley's recent success.
The Dodgers mustered their first hit in the third and put the first run on the scoreboard at the same time. Cruz singled to left, A.J. Ellis walked and Billingsley bunted both men into scoring position. Shane Victorino did his job by making contact, slapping an RBI groundout to second.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}An inning with a little bit of everything allowed the Dodgers to gain a comfortable advantage. Kemp began the fourth frame with a grounder that deflected off Pedro Alvarez's glove for an infield single, and Andre Ethier followed with a grounder to Neil Walker, who dropped the ball during a collision near the second base bag. Ramirez followed with a swinging bunt hit that came to a stop just inside the chalk down the third-base line.
James Loney's groundout to first scored one run and Cruz's single to left plated two more for a 4-0 edge. The usual suspects added a pair more for the visitors in the sixth, as Ramirez singled to left, moved to second on Loney's single and scored on Cruz's third hit of the night, a base hit to center. Ellis' sacrifice fly allowed Loney to walk home for the six-run margin.
The Dodgers added injury to insult with a five spot against the Pirates bullpen in the ninth. Adam Kennedy singled with one out and advanced to second on Victorino's single to right. Both runners moved up on a passed ball and Juan Uribe walked to load the bases. Kemp's infield single plated one run and Ethier's single to left scored two more. Both Kemp and Ethier then came around to score on Ramirez's double to left.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Game Notes
Ramirez made his first error as a shortstop for the Dodgers in the fifth frame ... Billingsley's five straight wins have all come after the All-Star break. He has won seven of eight decisions against the Pirates ... Correia saw his seven-decision winning streak come to an end ... The game went was delayed by 55 minutes at the outset due to earlier rain and an impending storm ... The Dodgers notched their seventh shutout of the season.