Los Angeles, CA -- (Sports Network) - Matt Kemp continued his recent tear with a two-run homer, while Chad Billingsley and the Dodgers' bullpen stifled the New York Mets in a 5-1 decision to open a three-game series at Dodger Stadium.

Billingsley (2-4) struggled with his control but recorded outs when he needed, surrendering a lone run on five hits and four walks, while fanning four in six-plus innings.

"I've been going after hitters and making sure my off-speed stuff was off the plate," Billingsley said. "I've been making them hit my pitches."

Blake DeWitt and Rafael Furcal each hit solo home runs for the Dodgers, who got back in the win column after snapping an eight-game winning streak on Sunday.

Carlos Beltran tripled and scored during a 2-for-4 effort at the plate, but the Mets recorded just five hits in the loss.

Oliver Perez (2-3), who didn't get out of the second inning in his latest start, gave New York six frames, but allowed five runs on six hits and two free passes.

Perez had Furcal 0-2 in the count to begin the game but made a mistake with a slider and the shortstop pounded the offering into the left field seats.

Russell Martin's RBI single a few batters later scored Juan Pierre, who singled and stole his 10th base of the season before giving the Dodgers a 2-0 lead.

Billingsley wasn't dominant but got out of several jams in the first five innings, including fanning Brian Schneider and inducing Luis Castillo on a groundout with a pair of runners in scoring position in the second.

Los Angeles opened up its lead in the fifth. DeWitt led off the frame with a round-tripper to center, and Kemp, who was named National League Player of the Week for the period ending May 4, hit a two-run blast that cleared the right center field wall for a 5-0 advantage.

"[Perez] kept us in the game, but the gopher balls hurt him a little," Mets manager Willie Randolph said. "Billingsley struggled a little and we had a chance, but we let him dodge a bullet. He was impressive enough to get the job done."

In the sixth, Beltran sprinted around for a triple and scored on Moises Alou's single up the middle for the Mets' only tally of the contest.

Joe Beimel and Jonathan Broxton pitched scoreless seventh and eighth innings, respectively, before Takashi Saito came on for a 1-2-3 ninth to close the door.

"I'm seeing the ball well," Kemp said. "We're all seeing the ball well. I'm excited about being named Player of the Week, but we should get an award for team of the week because we're all playing well."

Game Notes

Kemp batted .407 with four doubles and led the National League with 11 runs batted in last week. He also stole a league-best six bases and tied for the NL lead with 11 hits. He currently owns a 10-game hitting streak...Los Angeles has averaged 7.2 runs in the last 13 games...Perez took a Jeff Kent line drive to the stomach in the first inning, but threw Kent out at first and remained in the game after a short visit from the trainer...Tuesday's second game of the series features the Mets' Nelson Figueroa (2-1) against LA's Hiroki Kuroda (1-2)...Blake's shot in the fifth was the first home run of his Major League career.