Andre Ethier is what’s ailing Padres in 2-0 Dodgers’ victory; Chad Billingsley throws six more scoreless innings

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As the kids would say, that was a sick win by the Dodgers.

A much-needed win, too, Chad Billingsley continuing to put up zeros and Andre Ethier, after a stomach virus made him a late scratch Tuesday, driving in both runs with a pinch-hit single to leave the Dodgers with a 2-0 victory over the San Diego Padres.

It was the first of seven meetings between the clubs over the next 10 days, the Dodgers needing to get off to a solid start, what with trailing the Padres in the National League West by six games coming in.

But led by Ethier and Billingsley, with bullpen help from Hong-Chih Kuo and Jonathan Broxton, the Dodgers cut the lead to five games, and maybe gave themselves a needed lift, too.

After opening the second half with a miserable start in St. Louis (four innings, seven earned runs, 10 hits), Billingsley has done a complete 180.

He threw a shutout against the San Francisco Giants in his last start, and Tuesday came back with six scoreless innings against the Padres. He gave up three hits and two walks and struck out four.

The Padres loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth inning, and Billingsley still battled back to retire the side without giving up a run.

Billingsley (9-5) could have gone longer -- he threw only 84 pitches -- but Manager Joe Torre elected to lift him for a pinch-hitter when the Dodgers loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh inning against right-hander Jon Garland.

Torre called on Ethier. Padres Manager Bud Black had left-hander Joe Thatcher warming up in the bullpen, but elected to let Garland pitch.

Either is batting 100 points higher against right-handers. Black might want that decision back.

Ethier drilled a hit up the middle past a diving Everth Cabrera at shortstop for a two-run single. Wild guess, Ethier was suddenly feeling a lot better.

Kuo took over for Billingsley and threw two scoreless innings. Broxton pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn his 20th save.

The Dodgers managed only five hits, yet continue to make the most of a barely productive offense. The two runs pretty much matches the 2.3 runs per game they’ve scored in the 12 games since the All-Star break.

Yet, they’ve won five of their last six games, and perhaps more importantly, are 5-1 against the Padres.

-- Steve Dilbeck