Small lead can't hold up in Wrigley

Matt Kemp's solo shot in the seventh inning broke a scoreless tie, and the Dodgers looked poised to win another close one against the Cubs. But, Chad Billingsley couldn't hold it, as the Cubs got two and held on, 2-1.

The game was a matchup of two good starting pitchers - Billingsley and Ted Lilly. Neither man let their team down, as they made big pitches to strand runners on base during the first six innings to keep it at 0-0.

The seventh inning started off with promise for the Dodgers, as Casey Blake worked a walk. That was quickly erased, though, when Andre Ethier grounded into a double play. That DP would come back to haunt them, as Matt Kemp hit his first homer since May 7 for the temporary lead.

Billingsley worked out of jams in the second, third, and sixth, but had no such luck in the bottom of the seventh. Koyie Hill lead off with a solo homer that tied the game at one. Just like that, it was a new game.

What followed was three consecutive singles by Jake Fox, Alfsonso Soriano, and Bobby Scales to load the bases with one down. Kosuke Fukudome hit a sac-fly RBI to center to give the Cubs the lead at 2-1. Billingsley did get Derek Lee to fly out to end it.

The Dodgers did have their chances to at least tie it up. In the eighth, Rafael Furcal walked to start, but the double play ball killed them again, this time by Juan Pierre. Two men were on in the ninth with two down, but pinch-hitter Mark Loretta grounded to short to end the game.

It's too bad the bats couldn't get that one big hit, because Billingsley deserved a win. He went seven innings, giving up eight hits, two runs, two walks, and eight strikeouts. It was just that one bad inning in the seventh that did him in.

James Loney has been playing well lately, but today was not a day he'd like to remember. He picked up the Golden Sombrero with four K's. The Dodgers did their best Cubs impersonation from last night by hitting into three double plays themselves. So it was obviously not their best day with the bats. It happens.

Saturday afternoon's game will be on Fox as Eric Stults takes the hill. With Hiroki Kuroda on his way back, it seems like it's a battle between Stults and Eric Milton for the remaining rotation spot. It'll probably to Stults that wins out, and a good start tomorrow can definitely help his cause.