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Greinke Dominant, Dodger Bats Unfreeze To Beat Phillies In Game Three
By Scott Andes
Phillies 2 5 0
Dodgers 5 12 0
WP-Greinke-4-0
LP-Hamel-0-1
SV-Jansen-8
HR-Nix-1-Hanley-3
The Dodgers have certainly been playing some crappy uninspired sloppy Baseball of late. After dropping the second game of the series last night in extra innings thanks to another defensive miscue, I was about ready break all of my furniture. It sure was frustrating watching the Dodgers flail all over the diamond.
It’s hard on me because I dislike watching crappy Baseball, yet I love my Dodgers, so I am often torn. It’s hard watching the team you love playing such crappy ball. it’s hard on all Dodger fans having to watch the Dodgers play bad Baseball. No matter what though, we trudge on. Because we love our Dodgers no matter how poorly they play. Thank god the Dodgers gave us a reprieve from the losing with a resounding 5-2 win over Philadelphia. It was all smiles tonight at Chavez Ravine.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
The club had lost five of their last eight games, coming into the third game of this four game series. Before the game Mattingly rolled out his lefty lineup to counter Cole Hames. Gordon, Crawford, and Gonzalez were not in the lineup tonight. Van Slyke played first base, and Ethier was in left.
We saw a great pitching duel between Hamels and Zack Greinke. Both hurlers were locked into an epic battle before the Dodger bats finally woke up from their deep freeze. The Boys in Blue backed Greinke’s terrific start by scoring five runs on 12 hits. The Dodgers had six extra-base hits, including four doubles, a triple and a huge home run from Hanley Ramirez.
Yeah tonight was a good night. The Dodgers actually scored runs, and got hits. Greinke tossed a gem, and the club didn’t make any errors. Although there was a slight mental hesitation from Hanley in the fourth, when he didn’t try to get the lead runner. But let’s not dwell on that. We’ll get to Hanley in a second.
Yasiel Puig was the leader with the bat tonight. He went 2 for 4 with two runs driven in (RBI single, and an RBI triple). it was his RBI single to left that put the Dodgers back on top in the fifth inning. The Dodgers had jumped out ahead to an early 1-0 lead in the second when Kemp doubled, Van Slyke singled him to third, and Uribe’s sac fly scored him.
The Phillies evened the score in the fourth. Rollins doubled, and Hanley had a play to get him at third on Utley’s grounder, but couldn’t make the play. He got the out at first instead. Ryan Howard drove in Rollins with an RBI single, and that tied the game at 1-1.
The Dodgers scored their second run in the fifth with two outs. Butera singled, and Greinke walked. Puig’s run-scoring single into left field scored Butera to put the Dodgers back on top 2-1.
The Dodgers picked up another run in the seventh, and two more in the eighth. Greinke was allowed to bat and he doubled over third. Puig triples off the top of the wall, and the Dodgers led 3-1.
The Phillies would close the gap when Jayson Nix homered to lead-off the inning. That made the score 3-2. But Hanley would lead-off the eighth with a booming home run. Hanley had a good game, going 2 for 4 with a double and a home run. The Dodgers scored their fifth run when Van Slyke doubled, and Turner singled him in.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Greinke tossed seven fantastic innings. He only allowed two earned runs on five hits, walked one and whiffed 11. Greinke is now 4-0 on the season. Now that is a stopper.
Opposing starter Hamels was just activated off of the disabled list. He was recovering from a bicep injury. This was his first start of the year. He tossed six frames, allowed two runs on six hits, and whiffed five.
All total 20 batters whiffed tonight, 13 of them Phillies. The Dodgers were 4 for 12 with runners in scoring position. Even Kemp had a good game. He got two leg doubles, and raised his batting average to .218.
This win was a big relief, and much needed. Here’s how it happened.
In the top of the first, Greinke gets Ben Revere, Jimmy Rollins, and Chase Utley to all fly out to center, as Kemp makes all three plays. Cole Hamels sets the Dodgers down in order in the bottom of the first inning as well.
The Dodgers get on the board first in the bottom of the second. Matt Kemp and Scott Van Slyke lead-off the frame with consecutive hits. Kemp’s is a leg double, and he goes to third on a single from Van Slyke. With first and third and none out, Juan Uribe’s sacrifice fly to right scores Bison with the first Dodger run. Dodgers take a 1-0 lead. Turner flies to left, and then Butera missed a sign and takes a pitch, hanging Van Slyke out to dry. Van Slyke is easily thrown out, and we move to the third.
In the top of the third, Greinke gets Carlos Quiz to fly out, and whiffs Freddy Galvis. After allowing a single to Hamels, Greinke whiffs Revere for the third out.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Butera who was left at the plate when Van Slyke was tossed out in the second, fouls out to Marlon Byrd in right field. Byrd makes a nice running catch right up against the box seats. Greinke grounds to short, and Hamels whiffs puig to end the frame.
The Phillies tie it up in the top of the fourth. Rollins leads-off the frame with a double, and advances to third on an Utley grounder to short. Although Hanley could have had a play on Rollins, but hesitated and throws out Utley instead. That would prove costly as Ryan Howard’s line drive single to left scores Rollins to tie the game. Greinke ends up whiffing Byrd and Brown to end the inning.
The Dodgers waste and strand a two-out double from Kemp. After Ethier whiffed, and Hanley grounded out, Kemp collects his second leg double of the game, but van Slyke flies out.
Greinke continues his whiff festival in the top of the fifth. He strikes out the side, getting Ruiz, Galvis, and Hamels all to whiff. Greinke has now whiffed five in a row.
The Dodgers take the lead again in the bottom of the fifth, as Hamels falters. They did it all with two outs. Turner, and Uribe both whiff to start the inning. Then Butera singles over Utley’s head, and Greinke walks to put runners on first and second. Yasiel Puig strokes a ground ball single to left. Butera scores and Greinke goes to second. The Dodgers take a 2-1 lead.
Revere and Rollins fly out to begin the top of the sixth, but Utley doubles as Kemp and Puig nearly collide while both trying to cut-off the ball. Greinke falls behind Howard, and the Dodgers decide to intentionally walk him, and go after Byrd. There’s a little tapper in front of the plate, and Butera charges in front of Greinke to fire to first for the out. It’s still 2-1 Dodges.
Hanley leads off the bottom of the sixth with a double landing just inside the left field foul line. Hanley tags up to third on Kemp’s long fly to center. Van Slyke hits the ball about ten feet in front of the plate for the second out. Uribe grounds out to short, and the Dodgers waste Hanley’s double.
Greinke picks up his tenth whiff (Byrd) in the top of the seventh. And after whiffing Galvis, picks up his eleventh whiff. Greinke has reached 100 pitches, the Dodgers let him finish the inning. Pinch-hitter Cody Asche fouls out to Uribe to end the frame.
The Dodgers let Greinke bat with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Right hander Jeff Manship is now on the mound for the Phillies. Greinke rips a double over the third base bag and down the line. Puig follows by tripling off the top of the right field wall. The ball hits the 375 marker, and Greinke easily scores to give the Dodgers an insurance run they so desperately needed. Dodgers lead 3-1. Ethier ends the inning with a foul out to Jayson Nix, who makes a good catch against the Dodger dugout railing.
Mattingly gambles and let’s Greinke start the top of the eighth, even though he had made 107 pitches. Oddly, Nix leads-off and you know what they say about a guy making a good play in the field and then leading off the next inning? Yeah, Nix homers to left on the first pitch. The Dodgers lead is cut to 3-2.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
The Dodgers are now forced to remove Greinke, and in comes left hander J.P. Howell to finish the inning. He gets Revere to ground out, and Rollins to fly to Puig. Utley whiffs for the third out. But the Dodger lead is cut to a run again.
Left hander Mario Hollands will pitch the bottom of the eighth for Philadelphia. Hanley leads-off with a booming solo home run to straightaway center field. The Dodgers lead 4-2! That’s the third home run of the year for Hanley. Is he back?
After Kemp grounds out, Van Slyke doubles and that forces Philadelphia to make another pitching change. Hollands is out, In is right hander Shawn Camp. Uribe’s grounder moves Van Slyke to third. Turner strokes a single to right to score Van Slyke, and the Dodgers now lead 5-2.
Gonzalez will come off the bench to pinch-hit for Howell’s spot. Gonzo sends Revere all the way back to the wall, but he makes the catch to end the inning. It’s 5-2 Dodgers and we move to the top of the ninth.
Here comes Kenley Jansen to close shop. Howard flies to Kemp. Byrd flies out to right. Kenley whiffs Brown for the final out. The Dodgers win 5-2!
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Just the win is good news enough, but there’s even more good news. The club officially announced Clayton Kershaw will make a rehab start at Rancho this Friday. He’ll probably need a couple of those before he can rejoin the club.
Maybe things are finally starting to turn around for us? The Dodgers go for the series split tomorrow night. Right hander Kyle Kendrick will counter Dan Haren in the series finale at 7:10 PM.