Dodgers pound on Brewers
After Jones and Kent hit solo shots, Bennett capped the burst with a three-run homer.
Billingsley (3-5) didn't allow a hit until Brewers starter Ben Sheets, a career .078 hitter, singled with two outs in the fifth. Billingsley gave up three hits and struck out five.
Sheets (4-1) allowed six runs off nine hits. He had five strikeouts in 6 1-3 innings to end the first 4-0 start of his career.
National League
Diamondbacks 8, Rockies 5: At Phoenix, backed by Stephen Drew's career-high four hits, Brandon Webb became the major leagues' first nine-game winner when the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the Colorado Rockies 8-5 on Thursday night.
Webb (9-0) has won his first nine starts, the most since San Diego's Andy Hawkins won his first 10 in 1985.
NATIONALS 1, METS 0: At New York, Willie Harris' diving catch in the ninth saved the Washington Nationals, who beat the New York Mets 1-0 Thursday behind Jason Bergmann's fantastic pitching performance. Washington won an unlikely duel between Bergmann and Mike Pelfrey, who carried a no-hit bid into the seventh. Harris' bunt set up Felipe Lopez's sacrifice fly in the eighth, helping the Nationals take three of four at Shea Stadium.
But he was outdone by Bergmann (1-1), recalled from Triple-A Columbus before the game. He pitched seven sharp innings, giving up three hits and striking out nine, one shy of his career high. He didn't allow a runner past second.
PIRATES 11, CARDINALS 5: At St. Louis, pinch-hitter Jason Bay's three-run homer off Jason Isringhausen snapped an eighth-inning tie and capped Pittsburgh's rally from an early four-run deficit. Nate McLouth added his 11th homer for the Pirates, who outscored the sagging Cardinals 10-0 the last five innings to take two of three in the series.
Isringhausen (1-5) was demoted from the closer's role last week and was serving as the setup man for Ryan Franklin, but ended up with his sixth blown save in 17 chances.
John Grabow (3-1) got the last two outs in the seventh for the Pirates, who nailed down their eighth victory in 10 games with three more runs in the ninth off Ron Villone.
CUBS 4, PADRES 0: At Chicago, Ryan Dempster struck out a career-high 12 and hit a go-ahead single against Greg Maddux during a four-run fifth inning, leading Chicago over the punchless Padres. Jim Edmonds singled in his debut with the Cubs, who won three of four from the team with the worst record in the major leagues (15-27). NL Central-leading Chicago has won six of seven. Dempster (5-1) allowed six hits in 8 1/3 innings and walked one, leaving after 115 pitches. He retired 15 straight batters after a first-inning single by Brian Giles, who had three hits.
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