Chad Billingsley Masterful As Dodgers Trounce Padres

After having the bullpen pitch six innings on Thursday, the Dodgers were in need of a quality start from Chad Billingsley on Friday. "Hopefully we get a good outing from Bills. We'll see what happens," said manager Don Mattingly before the game.

The Dodgers got that good outing, and then some. Billingsley struck out 11 batters in 8 1/3 innings as the Dodgers beat the Padres 6-0 to open their season with two straight wins. Billingsley retired 16 batters in a row before allowing a one-out single in the ninth inning to Cameron Maybin.

Billingsley allowed just three hits and one walk, setting a new career high with a Game Score of 87. His previous high was 85, set on two occasions.

Through two games, Dodgers starting pitchers have a 0.00 ERA with two walks and 14 strikeouts in 11 1/3 innings.

Ethier on Fire

Andre Ethier was torrid all spring, and had confidence against both left-handed and right-handed pitchers.

"That's the key more than anything, if I can go out there and have sound mechanics and feel comfortable in the box, it doesn't matter righty or lefty, I can go out there and hit him," Ethier said during spring training.

Off the southpaw Cory Luebke on Friday night, Ethier crushed a pair of pitches to right center field, a two-run double in the first inning and a two-run triple in the fifth. It is the fourth game in Ethier's career with multiple extra-base hits against left-handed pitching.

Tonight's Particulars

WP - Chad Billingsley (1-0): 8 1/3 IP, 3 hits, 1 walk, 11 strikeouts

LP - Cory Luebke (0-1): 4 2/3 IP, 9 hits, 6 runs (5 earned), 1 walk, 6 strikeouts