Matt Kemp hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the sixth inning, Ronnie Belliard added a solo shot and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the last-place Pittsburgh Pirates 3-1 Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep.
Los Angeles began the day with a five-game lead over Colorado in the NL West — its largest since being 5 1/2 games up on the Rockies on Sept. 1.
The Dodgers' first three-game winning streak since Aug. 20-22 against the Chicago Cubs left them 29 games above .500 for the first time since the penultimate day of the 1985 season.
Kemp sent an 0-2 pitch from Kevin Hart (1-6) into the right-field pavilion for his 24th homer, driving in Belliard and giving the Dodgers a 2-1 lead en route to their 38th comeback win of the season. Kemp extended his career highs for homers and RBIs (94) with his first longball since Sept. 1.
The Dodgers beat the Pirates on a home run for the second day in a row. Kemp's shot came about 15 hours after Andre Ethier's two-run homer in the 13th inning lifted Los Angeles to a 5-4 victory.
Belliard made it 3-1 in the eighth, hitting the first pitch from Phil Dumatrait over the wall in center. Dumatrait gave up Ethier's winning homer on the first pitch a night earlier.
Hiroki Kuroda (7-6) gave up one run and six hits, struck out seven and walked none in his third start since returning from the disabled list after being hit on the right side of his head by a comebacker at Arizona on Aug. 15.
Jonathan Broxton pitched a perfect ninth for his 35th save in 40 chances.
The Dodgers managed just enough offense on a day when only three regulars — Ethier, Kemp and James Loney — were in the starting lineup.
Hart allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings, losing his fifth consecutive start.
Jason Jaramillo had an RBI single in the second for Pittsburgh, which has lost 17 of 19.
NOTES: Dodgers RHP Chad Billingsley, who has lost four of his last five starts, won't take his scheduled turn in the rotation this weekend against the Giants, replaced by RHP Vicente Padilla. RHP Jon Garland will pitch Saturday, followed by LHP Randy Wolf on Sunday. Manager Joe Torre said he told Billingsley that "we needed to get him straightened out.'" ... Crew chief Gerry Davis missed the start of the game because of illness, but took his spot in the middle of the third.
Copyright 2009 AP News
