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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 1:50 p.m., Saturday, September 6, 2008

Baseball: Ramirez, Billingsley lead Dodgers into first place

By JOHN NADEL
AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES — The Arizona Diamondbacks gave Manny Ramirez three chances to hurt them today. He came through twice, and that was enough for the streaking Los Angeles Dodgers.

Ramirez hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning to break a scoreless tie and added a two-run double in the sixth, helping the Dodgers beat Brandon Webb and the Diamondbacks 7-2 to take over sole possession of first place in the NL West for the first time since April 4.

Chad Billingsley took a shutout into the seventh for Los Angeles. By winning their seventh straight after an eight-game skid, the Dodgers moved a half-game ahead of Arizona entering Sunday's finale of their three-game series — the last regular-season game between the teams this season. Four of those wins have come over the slumping Diamondbacks, who have dropped nine of 12.

Webb (19-7), who issued a career-high six walks while failing in his third attempt to reach 20 wins for the first time, fanned Ramirez on three pitches with the bases loaded and two outs in the third.

But after Webb walked Andre Ethier again to bring up Ramirez in a clutch situation for the second time, he hit the right-hander's first pitch into the right-field pavilion to give the Dodgers all the offense they would need.

Ramirez has 521 homers, good for a tie with Ted Williams, Willie McCovey and Frank Thomas for 17th place on the career list, and 1,706 RBIs, putting him 20th. Ramirez has 11 homers and 34 RBIs in 34 games for the Dodgers since being acquired from Boston on July 31.

Ramirez came up with the bases loaded again in the sixth, this time against Juan Cruz, and again hit a fly to deep right. Justin Upton lost the ball in the sun, and it landed on the warning track before bouncing into the stands for a ground-rule double.

After being outscored 54-15 during their losing streak, the Dodgers have outscored the opposition 47-15 in their seven consecutive wins.

Webb, trying to become the NL's first 20-game winner since 2005, allowed five hits and seven runs in 5 2-3 innings while striking out six. He has issued 11 walks in his last two starts — both against the Dodgers. That's one more than he had in his previous seven starts combined.

The Dodgers have beaten Arizona aces Webb and Dan Haren twice each during their winning streak. Webb and Haren are 3-5 against the Dodgers this season and 30-9 against everyone else.

Billingsley (14-10) allowed four hits in 6 1-3 innings while walking one and striking out nine. He was relieved by Cory Wade with the bases loaded in the seventh, and Wade got Upton to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Angel Berroa singled to start the Dodgers' fifth and, after Billingsley struck out trying to bunt and Russell Martin grounded out, Ethier walked on a full-count pitch, setting the stage for Ramirez.

Webb walked Martin with two outs and the bases loaded in the sixth to force in a run, and Cruz then walked Ethier to force in another before Ramirez hit his lost-in-the-sun double.

Upton hit a two-out, two-run single off Jason Johnson in the ninth before Jonathan Broxton struck out Miguel Montero to end the game.