Recap: Philadelphia Phillies Take Two Of Three From L.A. Dodgers

Roy Oswalt pitched 6 2/3 innings and Jimmy Rollins leadoff the game with a homer as the Phillies took the rubber game of the series from the Dodgers 5-1.

Oswalt turned in one of the more odd performances you'll see walking six batters, yet surrendering only one hit and no runs. Oswalt's six walks match his career high.

Jimmy Rollins lead off the game with a solo homerun and Shane Victorino add another in the second. Rollins would also figure into the 3rd running as he was knocked in by Chase Utley after drawing a walk and stealing second. The Dodgers threatened in the bottom of the 8th getting a run off Ryan Madson, but he was able to induce an inning ending double play with the go ahead run at the plate. The Phils put it out of the reach in the 9th as Jimmy Rollins & Chase Utley both knocked in a run to make it 5-1.

The Phillies have won 10 of their last 12 series and have 11 wins in their last 13 road games.

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Recap: Philadelphia Phillies Power Past Los Angeles Dodgers, 8-4

Ryan Howard and Brian Schneider each mashed three run home runs in back to back innings as the Phillies offense came alive in an 8 - 4 win over the LA Dodgers.

The Phillies fell behind 1-0 in the first inning, but bounced back quickly in the top half of the second as Jayson Werth doubled and Shane Victorino walked to put two men on for backup catcher Brian Schneider. He homered to deep right to give the Phillies a lead they would hold for the rest of the night.

Ryan Howard piled on in the third crushing a 3-run homer of his own to left center that would put the Phillies up 6-1. Howard had gone 13 games without a homer before tonight.

The Dodgers would creep back over the next few innings and after Matt Loney homered in the sixth, L.A. had cut the Phils lead to 6 - 4. However, Carlos Ruiz continued his complete ownage of Jonathon Broxton, hitting a single off the former closer with the bases loaded in the seventh. Two runs would score, the bullpen shut the door and the game ended 8-4.

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Preview: Phillies, Kendrick Look to Rebound in L.A.

(Sports Network) – If Los Angeles rookie Carlos Monasterios can duplicate what Hiroki Kuroda did in last night’s win over the Philadelphia Phillies, the Dodgers will feel more optimistic on their chances of making a playoff run.

Monasterios will try to keep the Dodgers rolling tonight in the continuation of a three-game series versus the Phillies at Chavez Ravine. He is 3-4 with a 3.54 earned run average in 27 games, 10 of which have been starts, this season and has lasted 4 1/3 innings in each of his past two outings. The right-hander did not record a decision last Thursday in a 7-1 win at Milwaukee, as he gave up a run and two hits with three strikeouts.

Monasterios, owner of a 1-2 record in 14 games (six starts) at home, faced the Phillies for the first time in a 15-9 win on August 10 at Citizens Bank Park. He allowed two runs over 1 2/3 innings of relief for the no-decision.

Kuroda, meanwhile, has won his last two decisions and was in top form Monday night in front of the home crowd. The righty held the Phils to just a hit and two walks over 7 2/3 innings, while striking out seven batters. New closer Hong-Chih Kuo went the rest of the way for his sixth save.

“I was hoping he was going to get it, but I could tell he was a little edgy at the end,” Dodgers manager Joe Torre said of Kuroda’s performance. “His stuff was electric tonight.”

Rod Barajas hit a solo home run and James Loney also had an RBI for the Dodgers, who have won five of seven and sit 5 1/2 games behind Philadelphia for the NL Wild Card lead. Andre Ethier recorded three hits in the win, only a few hours after it was announced that slugger and former teammate Manny Ramirez will join the Chicago White Sox on a waiver claim.

“I think it was time for us and it was time for him,” Dodgers GM Ned Colletti said of Ramirez. He did a lot of great stuff while he was here. When he got on here on August 1 or July 31 of ’08, for those two-plus months, it was historic in nature what he accomplished here."

The Phillies fell back to earth last night after their three-game weekend sweep of the NL West-leading San Diego Padres, The bats were once again cold, with Shane Victorino breaking up Kuroda’s no-hit bid with a single in the top of the eighth inning.

“When he’s got his stuff going he’s tough to face,” said Victorino of Kuroda. “I got a fastball over the middle of the plate and it was something I could handle. Our pitchers have done a great job. We have to get our offense going.”

Phils ace Roy Halladay gave up three runs and 10 hits in seven innings to suffer his 10th loss of the season (16-10). He has lost two straight starts since a personal six-game winning streak.

Philadelphia is still clinging to a 1 1/2-game lead over San Francisco in the Wild Card standings, but fell three games behind Atlanta in the National League East standings. The division-leading Braves defeated the Mets last night.

Taking the Hollywood hill for the Phillies Tuesday will be Kyle Kendrick, who’s dropped two straight and three of his four last trips to the mound. He allowed five runs in 5 2/3 innings versus Washington on August 21, then yielded four more runs through six innings in a matchup with Houston last Thursday.

The right-hander, who is 8-7 with a 4.64 ERA in 27 games (25 starts), lost to the Dodgers on August 10 after he gave up six runs — five earned — and eight hits over 3 1/3 innings. Kendrick is 2-3 with an unflattering 8.14 ERA in five career starts against LA.

The Phillies won two of three meetings with Los Angeles at Citizens Bank Park earlier this month and, of course, have beaten the Dodgers in each of the past two National League Championship Series.

Recap: Phils Fall to Dodgers

Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) – Hiroki Kuroda carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 3-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a three-game set.

Kuroda (10-11) had the no-hitter going until one out in the eighth when Shane Victorino punched a single to right for the lone hit of the game for the Phils. Kuroda finished the game giving up two walks and a hit batter with seven strikeouts over 7 2/3 innings.

“I was hoping he was going to get it, but I could tell he was g a little edgy at the end,” said Dodgers manager Joe Torre. “His stuff was electric tonight.”

Rod Barajas hit a solo home run while James Loney also had an RBI for the Dodgers, who have won five of seven.

Roy Halladay (16-10) gave up three runs on 10 hits with a walk and four strikeouts over seven innings for the Phillies, who were coming off a three- game sweep of the Padres.

Philly now sits three games back of Atlanta, which defeated New York on Monday, for first place in the NL East. Philly maintained its 1 1/2 games lead over San Francisco for the wild card spot as San Francisco fell to Colorado.

The Dodgers got on board in the first inning as Loney hit a two-out single that scored Ryan Theriot. On the play, Jayson Werth threw out Andre Ethier at third to end the inning.

Los Angeles got another run in the second for a 2-0 lead. Casey Blake led off with a single and moved to third on Jamey Carroll’s single. Barajas then hit into a double play that plated Blake.

Kuroda was dominating the Phils through the first five innings as the only baserunner he allowed was when he hit Werth with a pitch in the second inning.

Barajas led off the bottom of the fifth with a homer to left for a 3-0 lead.

Kuroda walked Carlos Ruiz with one out in the sixth, but struck out Halladay and Jimmy Rollins to end the frame and keep the no-hitter intact.

In the eighth, Werth led off with a walk and Raul Ibanez followed with a grounder that was a potential double play, but Werth broke it up and Ibanez was safe at first. Victorino then broke up the no-hitter with a single to right.

“When he’s got his stuff going he’s tough to face,” said Victorino. “I got a fastball over the middle of the plate and it was something I could handle. Our pitchers have done a great job. We have to get our offense going.”

After Ruiz struck out, Hong-Chih Kuo came on to relieve Kuroda and got pinch- hitter Mike Sweeney to groundout to end the inning.

Kuo stayed on for the ninth and set the Phils down in order for his seventh save of the season.

Game Notes

The Phils have been shutout 11 times this season…The Dodgers have blanked their opponents 15 times this season…Theriot, who went 1-for-3, has an 11- game hitting streak…Kuroda has won his past two starts…Halladay has lost his past two starts after winning the previous six.

Preview: Phillies in L.A. to Take on Manny-less Dodgers

(Sports Network) - The Philadelphia Phillies are hoping a recent sweep of the talented San Diego Padres will catapult them back into the postseason. Currently standing in the way of that goal are the Los Angeles Dodgers, who will welcome the two-time defending National League champions to Chavez Ravine tonight in the opener of a three-game series.

Before winning all three games at San Diego's Petco Park over the weekend, the Phillies were swept in four games at home by the also-ran Houston Astros. Great pitching from Philadelphia's starters led to the recent sweep, which was finished off in Sunday's performance by Cole Hamels. Hamels fired eight shutout innings and struck out six Padres for the win before Ryan Madson closed the door in the ninth to preserve the 5-0 shutout.

"After the last four games we had at home, we're just trying to get back to the way we know we're capable of playing," Hamels said.

Mike Sweeney hit a two-run homer, his first with the club, and Jayson Werth contributed a solo home run for the Phillies, who lead the National League Wild Card race by 1 1/2 games ahead of San Francisco. The Phils are still two games behind Atlanta for NL East bragging rights.

Roy Halladay has beaten the Dodgers all three times he has faced them and will try to get back on the winning path in Monday's series opener. Halladay, who sports a 1.50 earned run average over 24 innings against LA, had won six straight starts before losing to Houston last Wednesday in a 3-2 setback. He allowed all three runs and six hits in seven innings.

The right-hander fell to 16-9 in 27 starts and raised his ERA slightly from 2.16 to 2.22. Halladay is 6-4 in 11 road starts this season.

Los Angeles dropped the last two portions of a three-game set at Colorado following a four-game winning streak, but now has more on its mind with the reported loss of slugging outfielder Manny Ramirez.

Baseball sources have confirmed to MLB.com that Ramirez, who's been on and off the disabled list this season, will become a member of the Chicago White Sox on Monday. He was placed on waivers by the Dodgers earlier in the week and the White Sox won the exclusive rights to Ramirez on Friday. The Dodgers have until Tuesday to work out a trade with Chicago, pull him off waivers and keep him with the club or let him go and get nothing back in return.

Ramirez was batting .311 with eight homers and 40 RBI in 66 games for Los Angeles this season.

The Dodgers pounded out 13 hits in Sunday's 10-5 loss to the Rockies, as Scott Podsednik and Matt Kemp both finished with three hits in defeat. Ryan Theriot drove in two runs and Ted Lilly suffered his first loss in a Dodger uniform, yielding seven runs and nine hits in just four innings.

"One of those days when I wasn't throwing the ball that well," Lilly said on LA's site after winning his first five starts with the club. "It would have been nice to find a way to give up two runs, or three or five. Not seven."

Los Angeles, which is 6 1/2 games behind the Phillies in the wild card standings, will send Hiroki Kuroda to the mound Monday. Kuroda was 0-3 in five starts before defeating Milwaukee the previous time out last Wednesday, when he was touched for four runs in seven innings of a 5-4 win.

Kuroda, a right-hander, pushed his 2010 mark to 9-11 in 25 starts to go along with a 3.56 ERA. He is 1-0 in three career starts against Philadelphia.

The Phillies won two of three meetings with Los Angeles at Citizens Bank Park earlier this month and, of course, beat the Dodgers in each of the past two National League Championship Series.