Chad Billingsley Goes for Third Win in a Row and Series Win

Chad Billingsley (4-4, 3.57) vs. Philip Humber (2-4, 5.92)

Lineup:

Gordon SS

Herrera CF

Ethier RF

Hairston 2B

Abreu LF

Ellis C

Loney 1B

Uribe 3B

Billingsley P

Last night’s game was quite exciting as we watched the Dodgers come from behind and defeat fellow first-place Chicago. The 2012 Dodgers scored five runs in the sixth inning as they chased skinny southpaw Chris Sale from the game. Alex Rios hit two homeruns for the Pale Hose, and his second dinger off Ronald Belisario tied up the game in the top of the eighth inning. The Dodgers weren’t going down that easy, and they countered in the bottom of the eighth by not wasting a James Loney single as he brought in the run off a wild pitch by reliever Thornton. Clayton Kershaw was roughed up for five runs. His 2012 season seems to be hampered by the flu and by the foot. The scrappy Dodgers ended up defeating the powered lineup of the White Sox, and they will give the ball to Chad Billingsley today in hopes of continuing the momentum.

Chad Billingsley has had his usual ups and downs this season. He started off great in April, then was hammered in the weeks following, but has been in a winning groove of late. He has won his last two starts, and he has only allowed two earned runs in his last 14 innings of work. Bills has only pitched 6 innings against the White Sox in his career, and he has a 7.50 ERA in those few innings. A.J. Pierzynski and Paul Konerko are both hitting over .300 against Chad, and both have hit one homerun against him. Adam Dunn, who has really got back to his homerun hitting ways this season (23 HRs on the season), is only hitting .167 against Billingsley in 12 at bats against the right-hander. That doesn’t mean we should let our guard down against the big guy though.

Philip Humber, right-hander, made MLB history back on April 21st when he pitched the 21st perfect

game against Seattle. Since then, Humber has struggled. He has gone 1-4 with a 7.50 ERA since the perfecto. In his last four starts, Philip has allowed 7 homeruns. Like Billingsley, Humber has had limited exposure to the Dodgers. In 7 innings against them, he has a 2.57 ERA. None of the Dodgers have had more than three at bats against him.  

The Dodgers are now 41-24, and they remain 4 games head of San Francisco in the NL West. The White Sox are 34-30, and they are only 1/2 game ahead of the Cleveland Indians in the AL Central division.

Elian Herrera, the Dodgers’ silent MVP, has a .296 batting average with 14 RBI, 17 runs, 29 hits, and 16 walks in his 29 games with the Dodgers. Last night he had two key doubles and three RBI.

Tonight’s game will be televised on KCAL at 7:10 pm. Stick around after the game for our postgame coverage.