"It might not be saying much, but Hiroki Kuroda definitely is the best 8-14 pitcher in baseball.

Kuroda threw seven scoreless innings for just his second victory since July 1 in the Dodgers' 7-0 victory Sunday that completed a three-game sweep of the hapless Houston Astros, who fell to a major league-worst 38-83.

Kuroda received a rare show of offensive support and even helped himself with a single in the sixth inning.

The seven runs matched the Dodgers' run total in Kuroda's four previous starts combined, a trend that has lasted all season as the Dodgers went into Sunday's game averaging just 3.1 runs per game in Kuroda's 23 starts.

The runs didn't come cheaply on Sunday either. The Dodgers hit three home runs - one by Dioner Navarro, one by Matt Kemp and another by Justin Sellers, whose three-run homer was the first of his major-league career and resulted in a curtain call.

"Playing with my brothers, you hit one in the backyard, but this was the big leagues," said Sellers, still wearing remnants of the shaving cream pie in the face he received from Navarro after the game. "Running around the bases was the most incredible feeling I've ever had."

Sellers, who was born in Bellflower and attended high school in Orange County, was called up Friday to spell the injured Dee Gordon at shortstop. He grew up watching the Dodgers and was a fan of Eric Karros, Mike Piazza, Darryl Strawberry and Eric Davis.

When someone mentioned to Sellers, who is listed at 5-foot-10, 155 pounds, his favorites were power hitters, Sellers responded:

"Chicks dig the long ball." "