Wed Jul 2 23:23:22 2008

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Kuroda, Dodgers shut down Astros

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Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Just hours after being reinstated from the disabled list, Hiroki Kuroda tossed seven shutout innings to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Houston Astros, 4-1, in the third game of a four-game set at Minute Maid Park.

Kuroda (4-6) earned the win after allowing five hits and one walk, while also striking out one. The 33-year-old made his first start since being placed on the disabled list one June 19, retroactive to June 13, with tendinitis in his right shoulder.

Andre Ethier homered and finished with three hits for the Dodgers, who won their second straight after dropping consecutive games. LA has won nine of its last 15 games, and five of its last six away from home.

Carlos Lee, who has 11 hits in his last 12 games, homered for the Astros.

The Dodgers opened up the scoring right away with a run in the first and they never looked back. Ethier smacked a one-out double and came around two batters later courtesy of a two-out double to left by Jeff Kent.

Kent hit another two-out, RBI double in the third inning to push the Dodgers' edge to 2-0. This time Matt Kemp crossed the plate after he led off the frame with a triple.

In the fourth, LA made it a 3-0 affair. Blake DeWitt led off with a single, moved to third on a J.R. Towles throwing error and raced home via a groundout by Luis Maza.

Ethier led off the fifth with his eighth home run of the season to account for the final Dodger run.

Runelvys Hernandez (0-2) suffered the defeat after surrendering four runs on six hits and two walks in five innings of work. In his second start of the season, the right-hander has given up seven runs over 10 innings in his first tour back to the majors since September 29, 2006 while with Kansas City.

Hernandez is taking the place of the released Shawn Chacon, who was suspended by the Astros last Wednesday after getting into a physical altercation with general manager Ed Wade and placed on waivers the following day

Lee blasted his 19th homer of the year to left with one out in the ninth, but it was too little, too late for the Astros.

Game Notes

Even with the win, LA is just 4-8 at Minute Maid Park since 2005...Kent posted his 1,497th RBI of his career to put him in 48th place all-time...Lee has 17 extra base hits in his last 20 games.