Tuesday, 12 August 2008
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Dodgers take series opener over Philadelphia, 8-6
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Game played Aug. 11, 2008The Los Angeles Dodgers knocked off the Phillies, 8-6, to win the first matchup of a four-game series. Derek Lowe got the win for L.A., while Philadelphia got the potential winning run to the plate in the ninth inning, but Jonathan Broxton pitched out of trouble to earn the save.
Los Angeles drew first blood by batting around in a six-run third and never trailed. Manny Ramirez’s one-out, two-run double scored Matt Kemp, who had singled and stolen second base, and Andre Ethier, who walked. James Loney’s single to right scored Jeff Kent, who was hit by a pitch from Philadelphia starter Kyle Kendrick, and Ramirez. Then, with two down, Casey Blake homered to dead center, scoring Russell Martin, who had singled to right, for a 6-0 lead.
The teams traded runs in the fourth. Philadelphia got on the scoreboard when Shane Victorino led off with a single to center and scored on a Ryan Howard groundout. The Dodgers got that run back when Kemp singled, took third base on a throwing error on Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz and scored on a Kent single through the left side, making the lead 7-1.
Philadelphia drew closer with a run in the sixth and two in the seventh. In the sixth frame, Jimmy Rollins led off with a single to center and scored on another Howard groundout.
In the seventh, Jayson Werth hit a leadoff double to center and stole third before scoring on pinch hitter Geoff Jenkins’ single through the right side. Jenkins then scored when Rollins hit a triple to right field that fell to Ethier’s right, cutting the deficit to 7-4.
The Dodgers got an insurance run in the eighth. Pablo Ozuna led off with a single through the left side and scored on a Loney double down the left-field line.
With Broxton, the Dodgers’ fill-in closer, on in the ninth, the Phillies made things interesting. Greg Dobbs singled up the middle to lead off, and Ruiz drew a free pass. Then, with two down, Chase Utley concluded a seven-pitch at-bat by lifting a bloop single to left, scoring Dobbs and Ruiz to cut the deficit to two. With Utley and Victorino, who had beat out an infield single, aboard, Howard grounded into the shift to end the game.
Kemp, Kent and Loney led the way for Los Angeles with three-hit nights. Ramirez and Blake also recorded two hits each. Lowe (9-10) pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on five hits, with a walk and three strikeouts, running his lifetime record against Philadelphia to 4-1. Chan Ho Park and Joe Beimel each went two-thirds of an inning before Broxton came on and registered his eighth save.
Utley was 3-for-5 for the Phillies, while Rollins and Victorino each chipped in two hits. Kendrick (10-6) lasted 3 1/3 frames, yielding seven runs on nine hits with three walks. Les Walrond and Clay Condrey pitched the rest of the night for Philadelphia.
The Dodgers, who are 59-59, continue a 10-game homestand Tuesday night by sending Clayton Kershaw to the mound to face 64-54 Philadelphia’s Cole Hamels.
Los Angeles, which has won nine of 12 at home, drew to within a game of idle Arizona in second place in NL West. The Phillies, unable to take advantage of the Mets’ and Marlins’ losses Monday, remain two games ahead of New York and 2.5 up on Florida in the East lead.
Video credit – ESPN2
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