Philadelphia @ Los Angeles preview
Dodger Stadium
Last Meeting ( Aug 31, 2010 ) Philadelphia 8, LA Dodgers 4
The Philadelphia Phillies finally showed some life on offense. If they can keep it up they should be in good shape.
The Phillies look to take a series from the Los Angeles Dodgers when they meet Wednesday in the rubber game of a three-game series.
Brian Schneider and Ryan Howard each hit three-run homers Tuesday to lead the Phillies to an 8-4 victory. For Howard, it was his first homer since coming off the disabled list earlier in August and it was his first homer since July 27.
For the Phillies, it was a rare show of the offensive production for which they had become known.
The eight runs were the most Philadelphia had scored since they put up eight runs in a win over the San Francisco Giants on Aug. 18. The Phillies then scored three runs or less in 10 of their next 12 games before getting back on track Tuesday.
If the offense holds up, the Phillies will have a great chance at maintaining their lead for the National League wild card and they could even reel in the Atlanta Braves in the NL East.
Philadelphia leads San Francisco by 1 1/2 games for the wild card and trails Atlanta by three games in the division. With Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt at the top of the rotation, the Phillies have formidable starting trio as anyone.
Oswalt, who gets the start today, has been everything the Phillies hoped he would be when they made the deal to acquire him from the Houston Astros. After a shaky start with Philadelphia, Oswalt has won his last three decisions and would have won his last four if not for a blown save by Brad Lidge against San Diego on Friday.
Oswalt gave up a run and five hits in that game against the Padres, which the Phillies won 3-2 in 12 innings. The right-hander has not allowed more than three runs in any of his last five starts and has allowed one run or less in three of his last four outings while pitching at least seven innings in all four.
For his career, Oswalt is 7-3 with a 3.11 ERA against the Dodgers in 11 games, including 10 starts. He last faced them on Aug. 11, allowing five hits in seven scoreless innings to pick up his first win with Philadelphia.
Clayton Kershaw (11-8, 3.01 ERA) gets the start for the Dodgers and will be going for his first career victory against the Phillies.
In five starts against Philadelphia, Kershaw is 0-3 with an ERA of 5.67. He came close to picking up his first win over the Phillies on Aug. 12, when he allowed two runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings, but the Dodgers’ bullpen could not hold a 9-2 lead.
The Phillies scored four runs in the eighth and four more in the ninth for an improbable 10-9 triumph.