Recap: Philadelphia vs. Los Angeles
Sports Network | August 25, 2008
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Jimmy Rollins drove in two runs and fell a home run short of the cycle and Brett Myers was once again solid on the mound, as the Philadelphia Phillies upended Los Angeles, 5-0, to complete the four- game sweep of the Dodgers.
LA took all four games against the Phillies back at Chavez Ravine less than two weeks ago, but Philadelphia completed its first four-game thrashing of the Dodgers since August 29 - September 1, 1985.
Myers (7-10), victorious in four of his five decisions since being recalled from the minor leagues, scattered nine hits and three walks while adding eight strikeouts for Philadelphia, which has won seven of its last eight.
The Phillies start a two-game series with the NL East-leading Mets Tuesday, trailing the division leaders by just a half-game after New York topped Houston on Monday.
Chase Utley had two hits and walked twice, and Jayson Werth drove in a run and scored twice for the victors.
Chad Billingsley (12-10) wasn't efficient in his six-inning start, walking five and allowing seven hits and three runs and fanning just three for the Dodgers, who have dropped six straight road games and six of seven overall.
Matt Kemp and Russell Martin each had three hits, but the offense was just 1- for-17 with runners in scoring position, stranding 14 runners.
LA's woeful start to their current 10-game road trip has the club 3 1/2 games behind the NL West-leading Arizona Diamondbacks, who play San Diego Monday night.
With two outs and runners in scoring position in the second, Rollins -- mired in a 4-for-46 slump entering the game -- stroked an opposite-field base hit to left field, plating two to break a scoreless tie.
Rollins was the catalyst for another run in the fifth, leading off with a double to right, moving to third on Utley's single and scoring when Pat Burrell grounded into a double play.
Myers surrendered at least one hit in every inning but got the outs when he needed, stranding runners in scoring position in five of his seven frames. He was especially stingy in the seventh, loading the bases with one out for the heart of LA's lineup.
The right-hander got Jeff Kent to chase a 2-2 pitch in the dirt, and Werth made a running catch at the warning track on a ball hit by Manny Ramirez to keep the Dodgers off the scoreboard.
The Phils added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the inning. Ryan Howard started with a double and came around on a one-out single by Werth. After another single, Chris Coste chopped a ball to second, and Werth, running on the pitch, hustled around to score from second without a throw.
J.C. Romero and Clay Condrey hurled scoreless eight and ninth innings, respectively, to preserve the shutout.
It was Rollins' first multi-hit game since August 11...The last time the Phillies swept a four-game set against their west-coast foes at home was back in 1929, when the Dodgers still played in Brooklyn...Philadelphia had lost six straight games to Los Angeles prior this series...On Tuesday, the Dodgers head to Washington for the start of a three-game series.
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