The Dodgers lost to the Cubs at home, 4-5, to continue with a three-game losing skid.
The Dodgers were down 4-0 heading into the fifth inning, but they began to rally to close the gap and eventually tie it al 4-4 in the eighth. In the fifth, Blake DeWitt doubled, Chin-lung Hu tripled him home, and Mark Sweeney got a pinch-hit RBI-single to score Hu. Jeff Kent gave the Dodgers their third and fourth runs with two solo shots, his 20th multi-homerun game, one in the sixth and one in the eigth to tie the game. The Cubs scored one in the top of the ninth and the Dodgers put loaded the bases off Kerry Wood in the ninth, but failed to score. Matt Kemp was also in the lineup, as he is appealing his four-game suspension.
Chad Billingsley gave up four runs on seven hits through five, but didn’t factor in the game’s decision. He also had eight strikeouts, all 8 came off the first 11 batters. He left after five being down 2-4, and the Dodgers caught up to allow him to not be tagged for the loss. Cory Wade and Scott Proctor combined for three scoreless innings before Saito came in in the ninth. Saito gave up a leadoff double, and one out later, Fukudome singled to score the runner at second to give the Cubs the go-ahead run. The run tagged Saito for the loss, his second.
The Dodgers will look to steal one back from the Cubs tonight, sending Hiroki Kuroda to the mound to take on Sean Gallagher. Kuroda is 2-5 and is coming off his worst outing of the season, giving up six runs through 2 2/3 against the Mets. Gallagher is 3-1, including a win last week against the Dodgers at Wrigley.
