Dodgers-Cubs: Boffo Billingsley Creams Cubs

The Dodgers are coming home with two tasty victories over Chicago in some very friendly confines, far friendlier than during the regular season that is, after clubbing the Cubs, 10-3.

In the preview to this game, it was noted that the key would be the starting pitchers, Chad Billingsley and Carlos Zambrano, and how they would handle the assignment, given that Billingsley can have issues with command and Zambrano had been ripped in the two games following his no-hitter.

Each pitcher made it into the seventh inning before being replaced. Billingsley scattered five hits and a walk, giving up a run and striking out seven. Zambrano allowed six hits and a walk, also striking out seven but giving up seven runs, only three of which were earned.

With five runs in the second inning, the Dodgers cracked open the game early and gloom settled in over the Wrigley faithful, whose core beliefs have been sorely tested these first two playoff games.

Principle villains for the Cubs were second baseman Mark DeRosa and first baseman Derrek Lee, each of whom booted groundballs that could have been double plays in that fateful inning.

So while Zambrano mostly kept his composure, it was the Cub infield who lost theirs. Later in the game, third baseman Aramis Ramirez and shortstop Ryan Theriot each took a turn at clutching their throat.

Aramis's didn’t hurt, but Theriot’s errant throw put Juan Pierre in position to score on Casey Blake’s single in the ninth, which plated the Dodgers' 10th run of the game.

If Cub fans are looking for any culprits for curses this season, they could consider the glove manufacturers providing goat leather for their infielders gloves. During all the stadium crowd shots TBS has provided, not one has shown the infamous Bartman. Would he even be allowed into the stadium is a good question.

Manny was once again Manny in this game. After striking out his first two times up, Ramirez blasted a Zambrano fastball deep to center, in the upper part of the hitter’s eye. Later, he walked and dropped a poached egg into right-center, just in front of a diving Jim Edmonds.

This was the second time in two days Edmonds could not come up with a play that was his bread and butter throughout his lengthy and excellent major-league career. It is reasonable to wonder if these are the last games he will play.

Meanwhile, Manny has given the Dodgers so much confidence, his mere presence in the lineup takes heat off the younger Dodgers, allowing them to relax and play their game. And boy do they have game.

Russell Martin cleared off the bases with a double into the left-center-field gap and pushed the Dodger lead to five. Matt Kemp doubled home a run in the seventh by taking an outside pitch down the right-field line.

Kemp has so many tools available, with just a little bit more polishing, we could be looking at a multiple MVP and a worthy successor to the legacy of Duke Snider.

Rafael Furcal sparkled in the leadoff role, going 3-for-6, scoring twice, and driving in two runs. This is the kind of game he was enjoying at the start of the season, before his back gave him and all Dodger fans so much pain.

The fact he was able to perform in a cold Chicago evening, with its 56° weather, is a very encouraging sign for Los Angeles, as the playoffs continue to unfold.

As Vin Scully would say, the evening was not all beer and Skittles, given the discouraging performance of closers Takashi Saito and Jonathan Broxton. Saito gave up two doubles and a single, allowing two runs while not recording an out.

Broxton walked his first batter, then gave up a line shot directly to second baseman Angel Berroa before striking out the last two hitters. In all, he needed 21 pitches to close the game out and did not look to have good command of his pitches.

Fortunately, they do have some smoke behind them, mostly clocking in at 96 mph.

The Dodgers get a well-deserved day to rest before returning to Dodger Stadium for the third game on Saturday, where they will send Hiroki Kuroda to the mound to face the Cubs' Rich Harden.

Photo Credit: AP, Kelvin Ma