Phillies Win The World Series

Congratulations to the Philadelphia Phillies for winning the 2008 World Series, beating the Tampa Bay Rays in five games.

I guess that puts the Dodgers in third place in the league?

Anyway, now on to important stuff: the offseason! It starts now!

Phillies 5, Dodgers 1

The Phillies capitalize on Dodger errors to win Game 5 and the series.

Cole Hamels got the win, he goes 2-0 in the NLCS. Chad Billingsley took the loss, he goes 0-2 in the NLCS.

Chad Billingsley got into trouble early and was pulled quickly. He gave up three runs in 2.2 innings. Greg Maddux gave up two unearned runs in the 5th, due in part to three Rafael Furcal errors in the inning. James McDonald pitched two scoreless innings in relief. Joe Beimel and Cory Wade combined to pitch a perfect 8th, and Hong-Chih Kuo pitched a scoreless 9th to hold the Phillies to five runs.

The Dodgers failed to mount much offense against the Phillies pitching staff. Manny Ramírez went 2-3 with a walk and a solo homerun, accounting for the Dodgers' only run. James Loney went 2-4 and Matt Kemp went 2-3 with a walk. Other than that, there was not much to speak of.

With the win, the Phillies win the series 4-1 and move on to the World Series.

Opinion: It's hard to be upset. Don't get me wrong, I am. But I kinda figured coming in that we didn't have much chance to come back. Chad Billingsley, who hasn't really been lights out since September, obviously was tired. His fastballs didn't have the same umph they had earlier in the season. His breaking balls didn't have as much break. This is only his third season in the majors, and coming into the playoffs, he'd already pitched 50 more innings than in any previous season. He was just not ready yet. The offense meanwhile, didn't offer much in support. The Phillies for the most part, pitched around Manny, and the Dodgers couldn't make them pay for it. The players sandwiched around Manny went 0-12. The two in front of Manny couldn't get on for him, the one behind him couldn't bring him in. It does tell me one thing, and with Manny, we need another bat. That's all stuff to be decided in the offseason... which I guess is now? So with that, I say adieu to the Dodgers' 2008 Season. 2nd Place in the National League, 1st Place in the NL West, 1st Place in our Hearts... Seriously, thank you Dodgers. It was a fun ride. We'll see you in Spring.

As for the blog. I'm going to take a break now and prepare for the offseason. I plan to do player profiles, free agent and trade analysis, and other such things. I'll see you all after the World Series...

Phillies 7, Dodgers 5

The Phillies have a late comeback to beat the Dodgers in Game 4 of this series.

Ryan Madson got the win, he's 1-0 in the NLCS. Cory Wade took the loss, he's 0-1 in the NLCS. Brad Lidge picked up his 3rd save in the NLCS.

Derek Lowe gave up two runs over five innings pitching on short rest. He did seem to be getting better as the game went on, but was pulled before the 6th. The Dodger bullpen, which has been spotless in the first three games this series, then proceeded to give up five runs in four innings of work. Cory Wade and Jonathan Broxton each surrender two-run homeruns in the 8th, Wade's to tie the game, Broxton to allow the Phillies the lead.

Offensively, the Dodgers weren't bad. They collected a total of 11 hits and eight walks in the game, but their hitting couldn't overcome the deficit the pitching allowed. Rafael Furcal went 1-2 with two walks and two runs. Manny Ramírez went 2-2 with three walks, and an RBI. James Loney went 2-5 with a walk, a double, and an RBI and Casey Blake went 2-5 with a solo homerun. Finally, Juan Pierre went 2-3 with a double and a run scored.

With the loss, the Dodgers fall to a 3-1 deficit. Game 5 is Wednesday at 5:22 L.A. time.

Opinion: Well, it was a hell of a run, huh? I know, it's not over yet, but it's a long road back. Might as well win on Wednesday and see where it goes, but even with the win Wednesday, we head back to Philadelphia, where we are 0-6... This kind of loss is painful. I literally was feeling a little sick during and after the 8th inning. It's gutwrenching. If they have the lead for the duration of the game, and we can't comeback, fine. But when the bullpen blows the lead, twice in the same inning, it's really like getting punched in the gut twice. It's awful. It's heartbreaking. I guess what I'm saying is, the Phillies just about ended our season tonight in worst way possible, Los Angeles is on fire, and I have a mid-term tomorrow that I'm not ready for. I am not doing good people...

Dodgers 7, Phillies 2

The Dodgers strike for five runs in the first inning and never look back as they take the third game in this series.

Hiroki Kuroda got the win, he's 1-0 in the NLCS. Jamie Moyer took the loss, he's 0-1 in the NLCS.

Hiroki Kuroda made a quality start. He went six innings, holding the Phillies to two runs on five hits and a walk while striking out three. Cory Wade pitched two scoreless innings in relief and Jonathan Broxton pitched a scoreless 9th to close out the game.

Several Dodgers had good games at the plate. Rafael Furcal went 2-4 with a homerun, a walk, an RBI, and two runs scored. Manny Ramírez went 1-2 with two walks, an RBI, and two runs scored and Nomar Garciaparra went 2-3 with an RBI. Finally, Blake DeWitt went 1-3, the one hit coming in the 1st with the bases loaded. DeWitt collected three RBIs on the bases clearing triple to give the Dodgers a 5-0 lead early in the game.

With the win, the Phillies lead in the series is 2-1. Game 4 starts tomorrow at 5:22 L.A. time.

Opinion: Coming out strong in the 1st was a good statement. These three games are very important. We need to take care of our business at home, especially because of our troubles on the road... The other good news about today's game? Jamie Moyer looked particularly weak, and if the schedule for the Phillies remains the same, and if we push the series to a Game 7, Moyer will be the starter. That's pretty good news to me...

Phillies 8, Dodgers 5

The Phillies have two big innings to score eight runs and beat the Dodgers for the second game in a row.

Brett Myers got the win, he's 1-0 in the NLCS. Chad Billingsley took the loss, he's 0-1 in the NLCS. Brad Lidge picked up his 2nd save in the NLCS.

Chad Billingsley got lit up. He made it only 2.1 innings, giving up eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits and three walks. The bullpen held the Phillies scoreless the rest of the game, but by then the damage was too much. High notes for James McDonald, who went 3.1 scoreless innings in relief, and Clayton Kershaw, who went 1.2 scoreless innings.

The Dodgers scored all their runs in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th innings, but were shut down by the Phillies bullpen for much of the rest of the game. Manny Ramírez went 1-4, but had a three run homerun in the 4th. James Loney went 2-4 with a walk and an RBI. Similar to yesterday, there were then some assorted hits and walks here and there, but the Dodgers couldn't capitalize enough to comeback.

With the loss, the Dodgers fall down to 0-2 in the NLCS. They now travel back to Los Angeles to play game three, starting at 5:22 L.A. time on Sunday.

Opinion: That was ugly. Chad Billingsley seemed like he couldn't get a pitch near the zone in the 2nd and 3rd innings without it getting whacked. He's going to definitely need to bounce back from this one if we can continue on in these playoffs... And another thing, how many hits were we going to give up to Brett Myers. He's the pitcher! He had three RBIs and two runs scored today. He was the difference in this game. There is a reason the pitcher bats ninth and is consider an automatic out. It's because he is!!! Geez... It's hard to feel good about these last two games, but I do have some good points. For one, we now have three games at home, where we swept the Phillies earlier in the season. We need to capitalize on this, and put the pressure back on Philly. Secondly, it's not like we are being beaten handily. We've caught some back breaks. Yesterday, in the first inning, when Manny hit that ball to the deepest part of the park and it bounced off the top part of the highest wall, he only got a double. If that had gone out, the Dodgers would've had the extra run they needed. Today, Casey Blake sent another ball to the deepest part of the park that was caught at the wall for an out in the 7th. He put enough on the ball that if he just pulled it some more, we could have tied the game. I feel like these games were both winnable, we're just hitting the balls in the wrong places. So... let's just hit them in the right places. Easy enough, right?

Phillies 3, Dodgers 2

The Phillies come back to beat the Dodgers in the first game of this seven-game series.

Cole Hamels got the win, he's 1-0 in the NLCS. Derek Lowe took the loss, he's 0-1 in the NLCS. Brad Lidge picked up his 1st save in the NLCS.

Derek Lowe made two mistakes in the game. Two bad pitches that equaled three runs. He went 5.1 innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on six hits and a walk. Chan Ho Park got the final two outs in the inning. Greg Maddux and Hong-Chih Kuo each added a scoreless inning in relief.

The Dodgers weren't able to mount much offense against Phillies pitching. They scratched across two runs in the first four innings, but were shut down the rest of the way. Andre Ethier went 2-4 with a double and a run scored. Manny Ramírez went 2-4 with a double and an RBI. Other than that, there were a few other assorted hits and walks, but not much to speak of.

With the loss, the Dodgers fall to 0-1 in the series. They'll play game two tomorrow starting at 1:35 L.A. time.

Opinion: This was a tough loss, but foreseeable. Giving up the lead was tough, but if you had to look at the schedule for this series and pick a game that we would probably lose, this would be it. We've seen Cole Hamels three times (twice during the season, and now once in the playoffs). All three times, he's gone seven innings and given up just two runs. We definitely are going to need more than that to be the Phillies. Luckily, Hamels is easily the best starter for the Phillies. We should do better. Hopefully... One thing I did like though, is that in the 9th inning, against Brad Lidge, even though he retired the side, the Dodgers did hit the ball pretty hard. Even though Lidge was perfect in save opportunites during the season, that doesn't mean he can't be beat. We have to remember that, in case we end up in a situation like tonight again.

Phillies 5, Dodgers 0

The Dodgers fail to score any runs and are unable to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Phillies.

Brett Myers got the win, he's 7-10. Chad Billingsley took the loss, he's 12-10.

Chad Billingsley made a "quality start." He went six innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and five walks, while striking out three. Chan Ho Park allowed two runs in the inning he worked. Tanyon Sturtze then pitched a scoreless 8th.

Offensively, the Dodgers had another difficult night at the plate. Not hit wise, though. Overall, they collected 13 hits and three walks. Matt Kemp went 3-4 with two doubles and a walk. Russell Martin went 3-4, Andre Ethier went 2-5, and Ángel Berroa went 2-5. The problem, though, was that not run was scored.

The Diamondbacks lost to the Padres, so the Dodgers are fortunate to remain only three games back in the NL West. They will start a three game series in Washington tomorrow at 4:10 L.A. time.

Also: With the loss today, the Dodgers fall under .500 (64-65).

Opinion: So... today was even worse than yesterday. Yesterday, they had 19 runners, but at least they managed to get two runs across the plate. 16 runners today, and not one run. Yesterday, they left 25 runners on base. Today: 27. I'm a little confused. Maybe it was acquiring Greg Maddux that brought on some bad voodoo or something, but apparently, somewhere between August 17th's 7-5 win over Milwaukee and August 19th's 3-8 loss to Colorado, we forgot how to drive in runs. We've played seven games since August 18th. Here are the run totals: 3,3,3,1,2,2,0. We are 1-6 over that span, and that is only because the Dodgers were able to hold the Rockies to one run on August 21st. We are going in the wrong direction at the wrong time of the season. I'm not ready to freak out and pull the plug on the season. We haven't been hitting this past week, but I'm pretty sure it's just a slump. The bats can come around. The pitching should stay solid. And I'm holding out hope, because we play only six games against a team over .500 the rest of the season, and that would be two series against Arizona. We can win in this last month and change. We can win the NL West, especially because as bad as we've been playing, Arizona isn't playing that much better (three losses in their last four games). We can get to the playoffs. We can do all that, we'd just better be playing stronger by the time we get there.

Phillies 5, Dodgers 2 (11 innings)

The Dodgers blew a 9th inning lead, then lost in extra innings to fall for their third straight game.

Chad Durbin got the win, he's 5-2. Joe Beimel took the loss, he's 4-1.

Hiroki Kuroda made a good start for the Dodgers. He went six innings, giving up just one run on two hits and two walks while striking out five. Chan Ho Park and Hong-Chih Kuo followed with a scoreless inning of relief each. Jonathan Broxton came in to pitch the 9th and struggled with command. He gave up the tying run to force the game into extra innings. Joe Beimel pitched a scoreless 10th inning, and started the 11th by allowing a runner on base. Jason Johnson came in to relieve Beimel, but walked a batter. He followed that by getting two outs, before giving up a walk-off three run homerun.

The Dodgers, despite collecting 13 hits and five walks, still managed to score only two runs. Jeff Kent went 3-5 with a RBI, Andre Ethier went 1-4 with two walks and two runs scored, and James Loney went 2-5 with a RBI. Those were three most noteworthy hitting performances in the game.

The Diamondbacks also lost their game, so no ground will be changed in the NL West race. The Dodgers will try to avoid the four game sweep in tomorrow's game, starting at 4:05 L.A. time.

Also: The Phillies used 20 different players in the game, the Dodgers used 18... With the loss, the Dodgers fall back to .500 (65-65).

Opinion: Just another bad game for the Dodgers. Where in the last two games, we struggled to get runners on base (yesterday, the Dodgers scored two runs with only five runners getting on base.), today we had 19 runners reach base (13 hits, five walks, and a HBP), yet the issue of scoring runs still remained. The Dodgers left 25 runners on base today. We had more than enough chances today to put the game away. We had bases loaded and no outs in the 1st inning and managed to score only one run. We had bases loaded and no outs again in the 10th inning, and didn't even manage a run. We just aren't hitting. When we first acquired Manny Ramírez we had an increase in offense. We started playing well. There was some life in the team. Yet, in this last week, that's all seemed to disappear. We've lost three in a row and five of our last six, and we now find ourselves playing .500 baseball again. In fact, since Manny has arrived, we are 11-11. I said it when we got Manny. It doesn't matter how good Manny is, he can't carry a team. The rest of the team has stopped hitting (or at least driving in runs). That isn't to say Manny is doing much better (he has only five hits in his last 20 at-bats and no RBIs since August 17th). Sorry, I'm wandering a little. The point is, we aren't scoring runs, it's as simple as that, and if we want to hold on to any hope of catching the Diamondbacks, we'd better start.

Phillies 9, Dodgers 2

In a near redo of last nights game, the Phillies beat the Dodgers for the second game in a row.

Cole Hamels got the win, he's 11-8. Clayton Kershaw took the loss, he's 2-4.

Kershaw struggled. He went only four innings, giving up six runs on seven hits and two walks. It wasn't entirely his fault. Matt Kemp misplayed a fly ball during the Phillies three run 5th inning, but ultimately, Kershaw was the one who allowed two runners on up to that point, and gave up a double after the fact. Jason Johnson came in and pitched 1 and 1/3 innings, giving up three runs, although two of those runs were inherited runners that were allowed to score when Joe Beimel came in to relieve Johnson. Beimel went 1 and 2/3 innings, not giving up any runs of his own, and Ramon Troncoso pitched a scoreless 8th.

The Dodger offense struggled again. For the second day in a row, they were only able to collect five base hits in a game. They scored two runs today on those hits, when James Loney doubled and Russell Martin followed with a two run homerun. The other three hits were assorted singles, the last one coming from Clayton Kershaw with one out in the 5th inning. The only player to reach base after that point was Juan Pierre, who reached on a fielder's error in the 8th.

The Arizona Diamondbacks beat down the Florida Marlins, 7-1. With their win and the Dodger loss, the Dodgers will fall to three games back in the NL West. The Dodgers will try to end this two game losing streak tomorrow at 5:05 L.A. time.

Opinion: Let's chalk this one up to lack of sleep of the long flight, too? There's not been much to say about these last two games. We haven't hit. We haven't pitched. We are getting cold at a really bad time. The Diamondbacks, while they aren't lighting the world on fire with their play, continue to play with some consistency. We are now three games back. The last time we were this far back in the NL West race was the end of June. That was ok at that point. Three games over three months is hardly a lead. But the season's clock is slowly ticking down: 33 games left. I can only take solice in the fact that we play Arizona six more times this season, and that after this series with Philadelphia, we don't play a team over .500 the rest of the season (excluding the six against Arizona). Arizona, meanwhile, has to play St. Louis seven times in September. I'm not giving up hope, but please Dodgers, let's try to not fall any more games back. Please?

Phillies 8, Dodgers 1

The Dodgers get bested by the Phillies offense and pitching and lose the first game of this four game series.

Kyle Kendrick got the win, he's 11-7. Greg Maddux took the loss, he's 6-10.

Greg Maddux got through the first three innings unscathed and relatively effectively. He then proceeded to give up seven runs over the next 2 and 2/3 innings. His final line was 5 and 2/3 innings, seven runs on nine hits and a walk. Tanyon Sturtze came in and finished the inning. Ramon Troncoso pitched the final two innings, giving up just one run.

The Dodgers offense did not fare any better. Andre Ethier accounted for the Dodgers' only run. He went 1-4 with a solo homerun in the 1st inning. James Loney had three of the Dodgers' five hits. He went 3-4 on the day. Manny Ramírez collected two walks on the day, and Mark Sweeney had a pinch hit single in the 7th, and that was the entire Dodger offensive output for the day.

Fortunately for the Dodgers, the Florida Marlins came back from a run down to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks and keep the Dodgers within two games in the NL West. The Dodgers will try again tomorrow at 12:55 L.A. time.

Also: Andre Ethier's homerun was his 16th, which puts in him first place on the team.

Opinion: Just a bad game for the Dodgers. Let's chalk it up to no rest off the long flight. We struggled with hitting. We struggled with pitching. We just struggled. I have nothing more to say, I mean it. Seriously. Just forget about this game and move on... I don't mean to take anything away from Mark Sweeney (yes I do), but great job on getting a pinch hit single with two outs in the 7th inning and the Dodgers trailing 7-1. It is a hit though, so I will give him that.

Dodgers 3, Phillies 1

The Dodgers continue their hot play, and get some excellent pitching to complete the four game sweep.

Hiroki Kuroda got the win, he's 7-8. Brett Myers took the loss, he's 5-10. Hong-Chih Kuo picked up his 1st save.

Hiroki Kuroda made an excellent start. He went seven innings, giving up just one run on two hits and no walks, while striking out seven. And he did all that on just 79 pitches, 50 of which were strikes. Hong-Chih Kuo pitches two innings in relief, walking one batter, but allowing no hits while striking out two batters to close out the game and pick up the save.

No one Dodger had an incredibly impressive game. Matt Kemp went 1-4 with a solo homerun. James Loney went 1-3 with a triple, a walk, a stolen base, and a run scored. Russell Martin went 1-4, stole a base, and scored a run. Casey Blake went 1-3 with a RBI.

The Arizona Diamondbacks also won today, so the Dodgers will remain in a first place tie in the NL West. With the win, the Dodgers move to three games over .500 at 62-59. They will begin a three game weekend series with the Milwaukee Brewers tomorrow at 7:40 L.A. time.

Also: Matt Kemp's homerun was his team leading 14th... Hong-Chih Kuo's save was the first of his career... Nomar Garciaparra had an impressive inning defensively in the 3rd when he fielded all three well hit groundballs in the inning (one up the middle, one right at him, and one in the hole). He also had an RBI groundout in the bottom of 2nd prior to that inning... Both hits given up in the game to the Phillies were doubles... This series was the Dodgers' first four game sweep of the Phillies since 1962.

Opinion: Kind of sad that we could be in the midst of an eight game winning streak right now had the bullpen not blown those two games in San Francisco, but I can't be mad at them, as they've more than redeemed themselves in this series. In this series, they've given up only three runs (all in the first game of the series) over 15 and 2/3 innings collecting two wins and two saves over that span while striking out 17 batters... This series was a good statement on the Dodgers ability to play with the big boys. It will be interesting now to see if the Dodgers can carry some momentum over into the next series against the Brewers. Despite being second in their division, they have a better record than the Phillies and are arguably a stronger team... Mark Sweeney came in to pinch hit in the 7th and drew a walk. That's something...

Dodgers 7, Phillies 6

The Dodgers completed their second comeback in as many games and take the third game in the series to assure a series win.

Jonathan Broxton got the win, he's 3-3. Clay Condrey took the loss, he's 3-3.

Brad Penny had a bad start for the Dodgers. He went just three innings, giving up six hits on six hits and two walks. All six runs came on two-run, two-out homeruns (two in the 1st, and one in the 2nd). The bullpen took over in the 4th and did much better. They allowed no runs on only one hit over the next six innings (though they did walk four guys and hit a batter). Jonathan Broxton pitched a perfect 9th, striking out two, and was the pitcher of record when the Dodgers won in the bottom of the 9th.

The Dodgers had a solid day offensively, collecting 12 hits and five walks. Jeff Kent went 4-5, scored a run, and had a big two-RBI double with two outs in the 8th inning. Andre Ethier went 2-5, with a RBI and two runs scored, hitting his 12th homerun on the year. Manny Ramírez also hit a homerun. It was a two run shot, his 5th as a Dodger (for the day, he went 1-3, with two walks, two RBIs, and a run). Russell Martin bounced back from his recent struggles, going 3-3, with a double, a walk, and a run scored. Nomar Garciaparra went 1-5, but the one hit was a big one. He hit a walk-off line drive homerun into the Dodger bullpen in left field to win the game for the Dodgers.

With the win, the Dodgers move to 61-59, two games over .500. The Arizona Diamondbacks lost today, so the Dodgers move into a first place tie in the NL West. They'll try to go for the four-game sweep of the Phillies tomorrow at 7:10 L.A. time.

Also: James Loney also collected a RBI today, moving his total up to a team-leading 68 on the year... Mark Sweeney came in to pinch hit in the 3rd inning and grounded out to 1st, lowering his average to .125.

Opinion: A good win for the Dodgers, who are starting to act like a team that wants to be in the postseason... Brad Penny worries me though. He was throwing some very hittable pitches to the Phillies. I do wonder if we'll be able to rely on him down the stretch. Though I'm not sure it really matters, because even if there are some better options, Joe Torre's reluctance to make a change won't allow it... Mark Sweeney made another out today, but thankfully it was in the 3rd inning, so there was no chance he could come up in an important situation later in the game. I really feel like I'm beating a pointless dead horse. Sweeney only needs to survive until September 1st when the rosters expand, and then he can make it the rest of the year easy. Torre knows that when the rosters expand they'll be less pressure on the bench and Sweeney himself. I'll be shocked if Sweeney isn't with us the rest of the year, and deep into the playoffs... The Dodgers have really made a strong statement this series against a top team in the NL East. It will be even stronger if they complete the sweep tomorrow, not that winning the series itself won't be a good statement. It's just that, I'm going to the game tomorrow, and I really want to see a win.

Dodgers 4, Phillies 3

The Dodgers made a late comeback and win on a walk-off hit in the second game of the four game series.

Hong-Chih Kuo got the win, he's 4-2. J.C. Romero took the loss, he's 4-4.

Clayton Kershaw had a good start. He went six innings, and gave up three runs on six hits and two walks, while striking out eight (a career high). Joe Beimel (on Joe Beimel Bobblehead Night) pitched a perfect 7th inning, striking out one. Hong-Chih Kuo pitched two scoreless innings to keep the Phillies to three runs and was the pitcher of record when the game was won in the bottom of the 9th.

Matt Kemp had a good day at the plate. He went 3-4 with a double and two runs scored. Casey Blake went 1-3 and had two RBIs. Manny Ramírez went 1-2 with a walk and a RBI. He was also hit by a pitch. Andre Ethier came in the game as a pinch hitter in the 7th inning and stayed in the game. He then came up in the 9th inning with Russell Martin on 2nd base and knocked a single into left field to score Martin and win the game.

The Arizona Diamondbacks also won today, so they remain one game up on the Dodgers in the NL West. With the win, the Dodgers moved back to one game over .500. The Dodgers will try for their third straight win tomorrow at 7:10 L.A. time.

Also: Matt Kemp, with his three hits tonight, moved his average to .302. Other than Manny (who is hitting .476 in limited playing time), Kemp is the only Dodger to currently be batting over .300... Kemp has now collected three hits in each of his last three games... The Dodgers win today was their 60th on the season.

Opinion: A good win for the Dodgers, but again, a small issue with runners left on base. They left 12 runners on base throughout the game. The pitching in the game was excellent today. After giving up a run to the Phillies in each of the first three innings, the Dodgers settled down and shut down the one of the more potent offenses for the next six. And too bad we didn't have as much success this weekend. Had the bullpen not blown those two games, we might very well be in the midst of a six game winning streak. Good though to see us getting some wins against a good ball club. These are the teams we will meet in the playoffs should we get there.

Dodgers 8, Phillies 6

The Dodgers outslugged the Phillies to take the first game in this four game set and move back to .500.

Derek Lowe got the win, he's 9-10. Kyle Kendrick took the loss, he's 10-6. Jonathan Broxton picked up his 8th save.

Derek Lowe bounced back from his last start to pitch a solid game today. He went 6 and 1/3 innings giving up three runs on five hits and a walk while collecting 13 groundball outs. The bullpen struggled afterwards. Chan Ho Park came in and gave up a run (as well as a base hit that allowed an inherited runner to score that was credited to Lowe). Jonathan Broxton came in to finish the 8th, then struggled through the 9th. He gave up two runs on a walk and three hits before finally shutting the door on the Phillies and closing the game.

The Dodger offense exploded for seven runs against Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick, including six runs in the 3rd. That inning included a two run double from Manny Ramírez, a two run single from James Loney, and a two run homerun from Casey Blake, his third as a Dodger. Overall on the day, Matt Kemp went 3-4 with a walk, a stolen base, and two runs scored. Jeff Kent went 3-3 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored. Manny went 2-3 with two walks, two RBIs, and a runs scored. James Loney went 3-4 with three RBIs. In total, the Dodgers collected 16 hits and seven walks on the day.

The Diamondbacks were inactive today, so with the win the Dodgers pick up a half-game on them. They are now one game back in the NL West. They'll try to take the second game in the series tomorrow at 7:10 L.A. time.

Also: James Loney's three RBIs gave him 67 on the season, good for first place on the Dodgers... Of the seven walks the Dodgers received today, four were intentional walks... On top of the 16 hits and seven walks, Jeff Kent was also hit by a pitch.

Opinion: While the Dodgers had a good offense day, having 24 batters reach base, and scoring eight runs, there was some down side. In total, the Dodgers left 23 players on base. Nomar Garciaparra is due to come of the DL tomorrow, and just in time, as eight of those 23 left on base were from Ángel Berroa. Another issue today was the bullpen. It gave up three runs in 2 and 2/3 innings, while also allowing an inherited runner to score. This is not a good sign considering their struggles the past few days. The question is raised: has the bullpen been overworked or are they just going through a bad streak? We'll have to monitor that over the next several days.

Quick Update

So some stuff happened while I was gone. Here's a quick breakdown.

On Thursday, 20-year-old rookie Clayton Kershaw did what 35-year-old veteran Derek Lowe couldn't, shut down the St. Louis Cardinals.

Brad Penny made a good return Friday and the Dodgers showed some power to win the first game in the series against the San Francisco Giants.

Then we lost the next two games when our bullpen blew the lead late in the game, and while we should have swept the Giants, we ended up losing two out of three. And while we should have been in first place in the NL West by 1/2 a game, we now sit 1.5 games behind the Diamondbacks.

While in Arizona, I did manage to put some bad voodoo on the Diamondbacks. Orlando Hudson is going to be out for the rest of the year with a wrist injury. I was even watching that on Arizona's Fox Sports channel when it happened. Apparently, however, I wasn't in Phoenix long enough, as they picked up Adam Dunn today for stretch run. This is getting interesting.

The Dodgers will start a four game series with the Philadelphia Phillies at 7:10 L.A. time.