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Dodgers beat Padres 6-1

By JOHN NADEL -- AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) Chad Billingsley did an excellent job filling in for the injured Derek Lowe by limiting San Diego to one run over six innings and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Padres 6-1 on Wednesday night.

Rookie James Loney homered for the fifth time in his last six games for the Dodgers, who won for just the third time in their last 11 games against the Padres and moved within 2 1/2 games of San Diego in the NL wild-card race. Philadelphia and Colorado also trail the Padres by 2 1/2 games.

The second-place Padres dropped 3 1/2 games behind Arizona, which beat San Francisco 9-4, in the NL West.

Billingsley (11-4) allowed five hits and one run in six innings with four walks and five strikeouts. The 23-year-old right-hander was supposed to pitch Thursday night, but was moved up after Lowe was scratched because of a bruised pitching hand that will keep him on the sidelines until this weekend at the earliest.

Left-hander David Wells, released by San Diego last month, will pitch against Padres right-hander Greg Maddux in a matchup of 40-something veterans in the finale of the three-game series.

Lowe, 11-12 with a 3.80 ERA and three complete games, was injured while playing catch with pitcher Jonathan Broxton before Tuesday night's game.

Loney had three hits, including a two-run homer off rookie Justin Germano (7-10), to raise his batting average to .322. Jeff Kent also homered for the Dodgers.

The Dodgers went ahead for good by scoring an unearned run in the second on a one-out double by Loney, an error by right fielder Brian Giles and Russell Martin's infield out.

Rafael Furcal hit a two-out single, stole second and scored on a single by Juan Pierre in the third to make it 2-0.

The Padres loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth, but scored only once - when Terrmel Sledge grounded into a double play.

Matt Kemp singled to start the bottom of the fourth and one out later, Loney hit a 2-2 pitch from Germano into the right field pavilion for his 11th homer, making it 4-1.

Kent opened the sixth with his 20th homer, and Loney followed with a single to chase Germano. Martin greeted Justin Hampson with an RBI double to make it 6-1.

Germano allowed eight hits and six runs, five earned, in five-plus innings. He has lost 10 of 12 decisions after starting 5-0.

The Padres loaded the bases with two outs in the second before Germano popped to first. Khalil Green and Kevin Kouzmanoff hit one-out singles in the sixth before Billingsley retired Michael Barrett on a liner to center and Sledge on a grounder to second.

Notes:@ Kent has hit 20 or more homers in 12 seasons, and 365 in his career. ... The Padres are 10-7 against the Dodgers this season after winning 13 of the 18 games between the teams last year. ... Manager Grady Little hopes Lowe will be able to pitch Saturday in the second game of a three-game series against Arizona. ... RHP Jake Peavy, who won his 17th game Tuesday night, has the most wins by a Padre since RHP Kevin Brown won 18 in 1998. ... Green and Kouzmanoff both had three hits for the Padres. ... San Diego's Mike Cameron struck out five times - three against Billingsley.