Chad Billingsley has this starting-pitcher thing down.

Billingsley tossed three-hit ball for seven innings, Matt Kemp and Rafael Furcal homered, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres 5-0 Sunday in Los Angeles to avoid a three-game sweep.

"Today was too much Billingsley," San Diego manager Bud Black said. "His ability to throw strikes and move the ball around was impressive."

Billingsley (5-0) won for the first time as a starter this season, matching a career high by striking out nine in an 88-pitch performance. He did not walk a batter for the first time as a starter and tied the longest outing of his career.

The 22-year-old right-hander's four other wins came out of the bullpen, and his two previous starts resulted in no-decisions.

"The first two starts I was just getting used to the whole routine," he said.

Billingsley sizzled in the 85-degree heat, retiring his final 16 batters, including six on strikeouts. He lowered his ERA to 3.44.

"I felt just great out there," he said. "I kept pounding the zone with my fastball, I was getting ahead with my cutter and throwing first-pitch strikes. Everything was there and I was putting guys away, which you need to do when you're ahead in the count."

The Dodgers stopped a five-game losing skid to the Padres, who had won four in a row and were seeking a second sweep of their NL West rivals in baseball's tightest division.

CARDINALS 11, REDS 7: In Cincinnati, Ryan Ludwick hit a solo homer and a pivotal three-run shot Sunday, offsetting another homer by Ken Griffey Jr. and leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

NATIONALS 3, PIRATES 2: At Pittsburgh, Jesus Flores' first major league home run, a two-run drive in the seventh inning, gave slumping Washington a three-run lead and the Nationals ended a five-game losing streak by holding on against Pittsburgh.

PHILLIES 5, METS 3: At Philadelphia, Jimmy Rollins hit a two-run homer, Kyle Kendrick pitched effectively into the seventh inning and the Phillies salvaged the finale of a four-game series.

CUBS 5, BREWERS 1: At Chicago, Jason Marquis allowed four hits in seven innings to win for the first time in almost two months, and the Chicago Cubs won for the eighth in nine games.