Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - Chad Billingsley threw six-plus solid innings, and Jeff Kent finished 3-for-4 with a run batted in, as the Los Angeles Dodgers edged Cincinnati, 3-1, in the opener of a three-game set.

Billingsley (5-7) gave up just one run on five hits with three walks, and struck out nine. The performance was especially timely, as Tuesday was not a good day for the Dodgers' starting rotation.

Brad Penny was placed on the 15-day disabled list, while Hiroki Kuroda went back to Los Angeles and will miss his start on Wednesday, both because of right shoulder soreness.

Russell Martin and Juan Pierre each added an RBI double for the Dodgers, who snapped a five-game losing streak.

Johnny Cueto (5-7) was solid in seven innings, as he gave up only five hits and three walks, but allowed two runs and took the loss. Joey Votto finished with two hits, while Javier Valentin had the sole RBI for the Reds, who have lost three in a row.

Cincinnati's Ken Griffey Jr. was honored before the game for becoming just the sixth major league player to hit 600 career home runs, a feat he accomplished on June 9. He did not start because of sickness, but struck out in a pinch-hit appearance.

In the third, Angel Berroa worked a one-out walk and went to second on Billingsley's sacrifice bunt. Pierre then roped a double to center that plated Berroa easily for a 1-0 Dodgers lead.

Los Angeles tacked another run on in the fourth, when Kent led off with a single and Martin doubled him home. The Dodgers went on to load the bases with one out, but Berroa grounded into a double play to end the threat.

Cincinnati got to Billingsley in the seventh and set up a tremendous opportunity to score runs. After Adam Dunn flew out, Edwin Encarnacion and Votto singled, while Paul Bako walked to load the bases.

Billingsley's day was done at that point, as Joe Beimel came in for relief, while Valentin pinch-hit for Cueto.

Beimel got Valentin to ground out to first, while Encarnacion scored on the play to bring the Reds within a run. But Corey Patterson grounded out to second to end the inning without further damage.

The Dodgers got the run right back in the eighth in the same fashion they scored the other runs. Blake DeWitt got on board with a single, while Kent smacked the RBI double for a 3-1 edge.

Kent went to third on the play, and Martin walked to put runners on the corners, but James Loney grounded into an inning-ending double play.

In the bottom of the eighth, Jonathan Broxton got into a jam and walked Dunn with two outs to load the bases -- but an Encarnacion fly out to center ended that threat.

Takashi Saito worked around a Votto single in the ninth inning to nail down his ninth save of the season.