LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The best thing about the Los Angeles Dodgers this season has been their pitching staff. Their most consistent starter has been Chad Billingsley.

The 23-year-old right-hander struck out a career-high 13 without walking a batter Sunday, and the Dodgers used a six-run first inning to beat the Florida Marlins 9-1 and avoid a four-game sweep.

"We felt like we were heading in the right direction because we had won four straight series before this one," manager Joe Torre said. "I mean, I don't think this has knocked us off course. It's just been frustrating. Overall, our pitching has been good and it continues to be good."

Billingsley (9-8) allowed a run and five hits over seven innings. The three-year veteran, who was selected in the first round of the 2003 draft out of Defiance High School, goes into the All-Star break with a 3.25 ERA and is 5-1 in his last six starts.

"I started off kind of slow this year. But, personally, I didn't feel like I was throwing that bad," said Billingsley, who leads the staff in wins.

"I was having some tough breaks, but I was able to finish up the first half strong. My offspeed stuff has been great recently. Hopefully, I can just carry this into the second half so we can make a run at this thing. We're right there, and we still haven't played our best ball yet. So it'll be fun in the second half."

The Dodgers are 46-49 in their first season under Torre, compared to 49-40 at the break last season under Grady Little. They trail Arizona by one game in the NL West, the same deficit they faced at the break last year. They resume their schedule with a three-game series against the Diamondbacks at Phoenix.

"Our record is less than I hoped for, and I'm disappointed that we don't have more wins under our belt. But I'm grateful that Arizona's going through the same thing," second baseman Jeff Kent said.

Los Angeles was as many as seven games off the pace on April 25. But the defending division champion Diamondbacks weren't able to capitalize on a 5-14 slide by the Dodgers from May 26 through June 15.

"When we were seven games back, there was a lot of disappointment among the players in here," Kent said. "But the way we've been making up ground in the standings is keeping guys excited. We've gained 95 games of experience now from the losses we had in the first half, and I think we're better off for it."

Dodgers closer Takashi Saito, whose ninth-inning stint on Saturday night was cut short because of tightness in his right elbow, will have an MRI on Monday.

"I think you've got to assume the worst," Torre said. "But with the All-Star break here, there's really no decision-making that has to be made immediately. So let's see what happens."

Saito's injury only clouds the picture for the Dodgers, who have had 12 players do time on the disabled list -- including starters Brad Penny and Jason Schmidt, shortstop Rafael Furcal and left fielder Juan Pierre.

"Injuries have been a crutch for us, I think," Kent said. "I hate to use them as excuses because good teams should be able to overcome the injuries we've had this year. We had another one last night with Saito, and I don't know how long that's going to take. We're a better team with him. But if we don't have him, we're going to have to find somebody to step up."

Billingsley gave up his only run on a first-inning RBI double by former Dodger Luis Gonzalez, then retired 15 of his next 16 batters -- 10 of them on strikeouts. The previous high by a Dodger this season was 12 -- by Billingsley on April 24 against Arizona.

Hanley Ramirez, scheduled to start at shortstop in Tuesday's All-Star game, was held out of the Marlins' lineup for precautionary reasons after leaving Saturday night's game with a sore right shoulder -- although he was available to pinch-hit.

The Marlins, who had won six of their previous seven games, come into the break with a 50-45 record -- quite a turnaround for a club that finished the 2007 season 20 games under .500 and last in the NL East. They are 1 1/2 games behind first-place Philadelphia.

"To people on the outside, I think we've overachieved," Gonzalez said. "I think we've surprised the baseball world -- just as Tampa Bay has. I think everybody's still waiting for both teams to falter, but we continue to go out there and surprise people. And that's what makes it very exciting and fun for our club."

Andrew Miller (5-9) lost his fourth straight decision, allowing seven runs, five hits and a season-high five walks in just 1 2-3 innings -- the second-shortest of his 33 career starts. The 23-year-old right-hander lasted only two-thirds of an inning in his first big league start on Aug. 29, 2007 with Detroit.

Miller didn't retire a batter in the rematch until his 31st pitch. The first six Dodgers all reached base and scored.

Matt Kemp led off the inning with a single and scored when second baseman Dan Uggla lost Nomar Garciaparra's bases-loaded popup in the sun. Garciaparra was credited with a hit, and James Loney added a two-run single after a walk to Andruw Jones.

Garciaparra came home on a groundout by Andy LaRoche, and Loney scored the sixth run on a suicide-squeeze by Luis Maza.

Brewers 3, Reds 2

CC Sabathia gave the Brewers everything they could have hoped for in his first week as their new ace. The hitting was a bonus.

Sabathia homered in his second start for Milwaukee, a 3-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday.

Pinch-hitter Craig Counsell hit a game-winning sacrifice fly in the ninth to help make Sabathia a winner in his first National League complete game.

"CC brought the excitement, struck out the side in the ninth inning," said Bill Hall, who scored the winning run. "We wanted to go out and give him a win in the ninth inning. So we had the excitement, we had the momentum. It's a great way to end the first half and, hopefully, it continues on Friday."

Phillies 6, Diamondbacks 3

At Philadelphia, Pat Burrell hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the eighth inning and the Phillies maintained their 1/2-game lead over the Mets in the NL East heading into the All-Star break.

Chase Utley and Ryan Howard singled and Burrell followed with his 23rd home run, connecting against Chad Qualls (2-7). Pedro Feliz hit a solo homer one out later.

Ryan Madson (2-0) pitched a scoreless eighth to get the win.

Giants 4, Cubs 2

At Chicago, Tim Lincecum tossed eight strong innings to hand fellow All-Star Ryan Dempster his first loss at Wrigley Field, leading San Francisco over Chicago.

Dempster (10-4), one of eight Cubs selected for Tuesday's game at Yankee Stadium, entered with a 10-0 record in 11 home starts this season, but was upstaged by another brilliant start by Lincecum (11-2). The Giants right-hander struck out nine, allowed one run and six hits and also drove in a run with his first career triple.

Cardinals 11, Pirates 6

At Pittsburgh, Aaron Miles drove in five runs with a home run and a triple and St. Louis held off a Pittsburgh comeback.

Troy Glaus completed a 10-for-13 weekend with a home run.

Franquelis Osoria (3-3), brought in to protect the Pirates' one-run lead in the seventh, allowed five of the six batters he faced to reach base.

Russ Springer (2-0), Kyle McClellan and Ryan Franklin combined for 3 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of Joel Pineiro.

Braves 12, Padres 3

At San Diego, All-Star catcher Brian McCann homered and drove in three runs to help Atlanta rout San Diego in the rubber game of the three-game series.

Rookie Jorge Campillo tossed six strong innings to even his record at 4-4.

Padres starter Randy Wolf (6-9) gave up six runs and six hits in five innings.

Astros 5, Nationals 0

At Washington, Brandon Backe pitched seven-plus innings and helped himself with a pair of hits to lead Houston over Washington.

Backe (6-9) raised his batting average to .345 while lowering his ERA to 4.76. He scored after leading off the third inning with a double, then singled and scored in the seventh.

Ty Wigginton hit his eighth home run of the season and Carlos Lee had three RBIs for the Astros.

Nationals starter Odalis Perez (2-7) allowed three runs and nine hits over six innings.

Mets 7, Rockies 0

At New York, Carlos Beltran hit a three-run homer, Mike Pelfrey provided the latest dominant pitching performance and the New York Mets won their ninth straight.

Carlos Delgado added a two-run homer for the Mets, who trail Philadelphia by a half game after being 5 1/2 games back in the NL East on July 4.

Pelfrey (8-6) allowed just six hits over eight innings with five strikeouts, and didn't walk a batter for the second straight game.

Joe Smith worked the ninth to run the streak of scoreless innings by Mets relievers to 19 1/3.

Mark Redman (2-5) gave up five runs and eight hits in 3 1/3 innings.