Phillies vs. Dodgers Preview
LOS ANGELES (AP) – After having their nine-game winning streak snapped, the Philadelphia Phillies have to feel pretty good about beginning another one with Roy Halladay on the mound.
However, the Los Angeles Dodgers are confident as well given Hiroki Kuroda’s history against Philadelphia.
Halladay goes for his NL-high 15th win Monday night when the Phillies open a three-game road series against Kuroda and the Dodgers.
Philadelphia (74-40) lost for the fourth time in 19 games after falling 3-1 to San Francisco on Sunday. The Phillies, who still own the best record in the majors, took three of four from the West-leading Giants.
“Unless you win the World Series no one cares if you win the division by one game or 25 games,” said Roy Oswalt, who allowed three run in six innings in his first start since June 23 due to a back injury. “It’s what you play for. I could have stayed in Houston for the rest of my career. But I came here because I want a ring.”
A change in venue may not help Ryan Howard, who went 1 for 12 with eight strikeouts at AT&T Park. He is a .213 lifetime hitter at Dodger Stadium but does have nine homers among his 17 hits in 80 at-bats.
According to MLB odds and oddsmakers have made the Phillies -159 money line favorites for Monday’s game against the Dodgers. Current MLB Public Betting Information shows that 79% of more than 494 bets for this game have been placed on the Phillies -159.
Halladay (14-4, 2.55 ERA), though, hasn’t needed much offense as he seeks a fourth straight win.
The right-hander wasn’t sharp against Colorado on Wednesday, allowing five runs – four earned – in seven innings of an 8-6 win. Philadelphia has won 13 of his last 14 starts and 19 of 23 this year.
“He battled, that’s a pretty good way of putting it,” manager Charlie Manuel told the Phillies’ official website. “He didn’t have the command he usually has. Usually his command is outstanding. … He hung in there. He gave us a good chance to win the game, and that’s what we did.”
Halladay lost to the Dodgers last year, giving up three runs and 10 hits in seven innings of a 3-0 defeat.
He was opposed in that outing by Kuroda (7-13, 2.96), who will counter again Monday. Kuroda gave up one hit in 7 2-3 innings in that outing.
Kuroda has been outstanding over his career against the Phillies, going 2-1 with a 0.84 ERA in five starts while holding hitters to a .107 batting average. The right-hander conceded a solo homer to Howard in 5 1-3 innings of a 2-0 loss June 8.
Kuroda takes the mound after the Dodgers (52-61) failed to complete a sweep of Arizona on Sunday, losing 4-3 after Clayton Kershaw allowed a two-run homer to Cody Ransom in the seventh. They still have won nine of 14 and 15 of 25.
“You have a chance to have a great trip and you end up having a good trip,” manager Don Mattingly said of the team’s 4-2 road trip in which it also lost in the finale to San Diego. “At this point I don’t think we are at the point where we can look at trips. We are trying to win every day.”
Kuroda hasn’t seen many wins recently, mostly due to a lack of offense, but he continues to pitch well. He snapped a four-start losing streak after scattering four hits in seven innings of a 1-0 win over the Padres last Tuesday.
Philadelphia may open the series without Placido Polanco, who will undergo an MRI for soreness in his left hip after sitting out Sunday. The team said it is unrelated to the lower back inflammation that landed him on the disabled list last month.
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