L.A. win streak hits 8 games

The streaky Los Angeles Dodgers have things going in the right direction now.

Rafael Furcal hit a three-run triple, Chad Billingsley struck out a career-high seven in six innings and the Dodgers beat the Marlins 10-2 Saturday in Miami for their eighth straight win.

The Dodgers' winning streak is their longest since April 12-20, 2005, and it comes immediately after they lost 13 of 14 following the All-Star break.

"If I knew exactly what I did to pull this off, I would have done it before we lost 13 of 14," manager Grady Little said.

Billingsley (3-3) gave up one run and three hits. The 21-year-old rookie has won three of his last four starts.

"I had really good command of my fastball and I got ahead of the hitters," Billingsley said. "It was great to get those runs. It gave me a cushion."

Josh Johnson (9-6) pitched three innings for the Marlins, allowing five runs and eight hits. He struck out three in his shortest outing in 17 starts this season. His ERA went from a NL-leading 2.52 to 2.85, second behind Arizona's Brandon Webb.

"It was bad from the get-go," Johnson said. "I was battling after the first batter, it was my location mainly, and I couldn't get through it this time."

Andre Ethier hit a bases-loaded double in the fourth that drove in two runs and stretched the Dodgers' lead to 7-1.

Los Angeles scored four runs in the second inning, when it sent nine batters to the plate. After loading the bases with no outs, Furcal hit a hard grounder just inside first base that rolled into the right-field corner for a three-run triple. Furcal scored on Kenny Lofton's single to make it 5-0.

Furcal finished 2-for-4 and extended his hitting streak to 12 games. Ethier was 3-for-3.

"When you're facing a good pitcher, you have to take advantage of the scoring opportunities when you can," Furcal said. "He didn't look like the same pitcher he has been."

Later in the second, Marlins manager Joe Girardi was ejected by plate umpire Chris Guccione after arguing about a called ball on Ethier.

"It wasn't a good game," Girardi said. "We didn't play good defense and we didn't pitch well. You can't do that against a team that's real hot. You can't do that against any team."

The only run allowed by Billingsley came when he walked Josh Willingham with the bases loaded in the third.