Sands' Slam Helps Dodgers End 3-Game Skid
HOUSTON (AP)-- Rookie Jerry Sands hit a grand slam in the third inning and Jay Gibbons also homered as the Los Angeles Dodgers snapped a three-game losing streak with a 5-4 win over the Houston Astros.
Houston starter J.A. Happ (3-6) walked Jamey Carroll with two outs in the third inning before a single by James Loney. Matt Kemp reached on an error by second baseman Bill Hall when couldn't handle a grounder by Kemp to set up the slam to left-center field by Sands.
The home run by Gibbons to right field in the second inning put Los Angeles up 1-0.
Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley (3-4) yielded five hits and four runs with nine strikeouts to get his first win this month.
Carlos Lee drove in two runs in Houston's three-run third inning.