By Jason Brewer

– Managing Editor

Follow , and

Like SB Nation Philly on Facebook.

Aug 9, 2011 – Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) – Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins each drove in two runs and Roy Halladay became the National League’s first 15-game winner, as the Philadelphia Phillies held off the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-3, in the opener of a three-game series.

Halladay (15-4) gave up one run on nine hits over 6 1/3 innings to pick up his fourth straight win. The right-hander struck out four and walked two.

Shane Victorino had two doubles and a solo homer for Philadelphia, which improved to 7-1 on a 10-game road trip. On Monday, Victorino was suspended three games and fined for his role in a benches-clearing incident Friday against the Giants. The Phillies center fielder has elected to appeal the suspension.

Juan Rivera, Aaron Miles and Casey Blake each had an RBI for the Dodgers, who started a six-game homestand on Monday.

Hiroki Kuroda (7-14) allowed four runs — three earned — on nine hits over 6 1/3 innings to set a career-high in defeats. He struck out four and walked one.

“I think we gave ourselves a chance,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “We got some big hits, but just couldn’t get the runs.”

The Phillies got on the board in the first inning. Victorino hit a one-out double to right-center field, moved to third on Chase Utley’s groundout and scored on Howard’s infield single.

Philadelphia tacked on two more runs in the second. Carlos Ruiz led off with a single and advanced to third when Michael Martinez reached first on first baseman James Loney’s throwing error. Rollins followed with a two-run double to right-center field.

The Dodgers finally got to Halladay in the fifth. Jamey Carroll singled to right and Kuroda reached on a bunt single. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners up a base. Blake followed with an RBI groundout.

Los Angeles failed to score after putting its first two men on in the sixth. Matt Kemp and Miles singled to begin the frame. Right fielder Hunter Pence made a nice diving catch on a James Loney liner, Rod Barajas flied out and Carroll struck out looking to leave runners on first and second.

The Phillies added a run in the seventh. Victorino hit a one-out double down the right-field line. Scott Elbert took over for Kuroda on the mound. After Utley flied out, Howard hit an RBI double to right-center field for a 4-1 lead.

The Dodgers continued to leave men on base in the seventh. Tony Gwynn singled and Blake walked with one out. Antonio Bastardo came in from the bullpen and got Andre Ethier to ground into a double play.

LA finally got some clutch hits in the eighth. Michael Stutes gave up a leadoff single to Kemp, who stole second and scored on Miles’ base hit to left. Miles went to second on Stutes’ throwing error and advanced to third on a Loney fly out.

Brad Lidge came in from the bullpen and walked Rod Barajas. Pinch-Hitter Rivera followed with an RBI single to left to make it 4-3. Dee Gordon hit a grounder to second baseman Utley, who was run over by Rivera. The umpires called Rivera out for interference. A wild pitch put men on second and third. Gwynn put down a nice bunt that Lidge picked up with his glove and tossed to first for the final out.

Victorino added a key insurance run with a homer off Mike MacDougal in the ninth.

“We found a way to scratch out some runs early,” Victorino said. “Anytime you can add an extra run it’s great.”

Ryan Madson worked around a leadoff single in the home ninth to record his 20th save of the season.

Philadelphia won two of three games versus the Dodgers in early June…. Halladay improved 4-1 lifetime against LA…Kuroda fell to 2-2 in his career during the regular season against the Phillies. He entered Monday’s game with a 0.84 ERA versus Philly…Rivera extended his hitting streak to 10 games…The Phillies optioned pitcher Scott Mathieson to Triple-A Lehigh Valley…Philadelphia third baseman Placido Polanco left Saturday’s game in San Francisco because of soreness in his left hip. He flew to Philadelphia on Sunday for a MRI exam on Monday. The results revealed a chronic sports hernia injury. He will receive an injection Tuesday and be evaluated Friday…The Dodgers went 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11.

Read More: Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers

Follow , and

Like SB Nation Philly on Facebook.

Do you like this story?

LOS ANGELES, July 24 (UPI) — Chad Billingsley yielded only two hits over seven innings Sunday, staking the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 3-1 decision over the Washington Nationals.

Billingsley (9-8) allowed a first-inning run and then shut the door, fanning 10 Nationals batters while spotting 73 of his 115 pitches for strikes. The right-hander yielded a pair of walks in the gem.

Kenley Jansen tossed a scoreless eighth and Javy Guerra collected his seventh save with a 1-2-3 ninth for the Dodgers, who took the rubber match of their weekend series with the Nats.

Aaron Miles’ two-run single in the bottom of the first put Los Angeles ahead to stay and James Loney provided an RBI groundout for the victors.

The Nationals’ Jason Marquis (8-5) was tagged with the loss, surrendering three runs on five hits in a six-inning start.

Michael Morse got Washington’s lone RBI.

TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays have traded outfielder Juan Rivera to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for a player to be named or cash considerations.

The 33-year-old appeared in 70 games for the Blue Jays this season, batting .243 with six home runs and 27 RBI before being designated for assignment on July 3, the same day Travis Snider was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas.

Rivera was acquired by Toronto on Jan. 21 along with catcher Mike Napoli from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for outfielder Vernon Wells.

Napoli was then dealt to the Texas Rangers for reliever Frank Francisco.

In 11 major league seasons with the Yankees, Expos, Angels and Blue Jays, Rivera has a .277 average with 118 home runs and 446 RBI.

“Juan will provide us with a right-handed hitting counterpart to Tony Gwynn Jr. and can also fill in for James Loney from time to time at first base,” Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said in a statement.

Rivera is scheduled to make $5.25 million this season.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers were still searching for their first hit of the game with two outs in the ninth inning. Nine pitches later, they had an improbable victory.

Juan Uribe doubled to left for Los Angeles’ first hit and Dioner Navarro drove him in with a single to center, sending the Dodgers to a 1-0 victory over the San Diego Padres on Saturday.

“Everybody wants to get that hit and be the guy,” Navarro said. “We just kept telling ourselves to be patient and do the best we can. I knew there was a base open and they were going to pitch around me, which they did. But then he threw a fastball in there. I was looking for a pitch up in the strike zone and I put some good wood on it.”

Uribe’s hit came on a 1-2 pitch and Navarro delivered on a 3-1 offering from Luke Gregerson (2-2), who struck out Matt Kemp to begin the inning, then got James Loney to ground out.

“I’ve seen some crazy things in my nine years in the big leagues,” Padres second baseman Orlando Hudson said, “but that’s the way the game goes. So what are you going to do? You just keep playing.”

Rubby De La Rosa and three relievers combined on a one-hitter that gave the Dodgers three consecutive shutout victories for the first time since July 1991. Los Angeles has won nine of its last 19 games, and seven of those victories have been shutouts — including the last five.

Uribe was down to his last strike when he drove the pitch from Gregerson over the head of left fielder Chris Denorfia. The Padres have never had a no-hitter in their 43-year history.

“To tell the truth, I don’t think anyone in the bullpen knew there was a no-hitter going,” Gregerson said. “The starter was out of the game, so what did it matter at that point? It’s only fun if the starter goes nine innings and throws a no-hitter and your guys score some runs. But a loss is a loss at the end of the day.

“I made one bad pitch and that was it. It’s as simple as that,” Gregerson added. “The slider was working really good today and I just left one up and paid for it. I made a good pitch to Navarro and he got it. That’s all that matters.”

Blake Hawksworth (2-2) pitched a perfect ninth inning for the Dodgers after Matt Guerrier and Mike MacDougal each got three outs.

Aaron Harang started for San Diego and worked six innings, finishing with six strikeouts and three walks while throwing 95 pitches. Josh Spence came on and struck out his only batter, Andre Ethier, before Chad Qualls escaped a jam to keep the game scoreless.

Matt Kemp reached on a two-base throwing error by shortstop Jason Bartlett and James Loney was intentionally walked before Qualls retired Uribe on a foul popup and Navarro on a comebacker.

Mike Adams got out of another scrape in the eighth, retiring Tony Gwynn Jr., Rafael Furcal and Ethier after Jamey Carroll drew a leadoff walk and third baseman Chase Headley committed a throwing error on a sacrifice by pinch-hitter Trent Oeltjen.

The 33-year-old Harang had missed 26 games because of a bruised right foot, which occurred during his 7-2 victory over Washington on June 9. At the time of his injury, he had a string of five straight starts in which he did not allow more than two runs.

Harang might have gone longer in this one had he not thrown 37 pitches in the first inning.

“I think if it was a different situation and I got through seven, it’s probably going to be a different,” Harang said. “I felt great. I felt like I was commanding the ball well and my off-speed stuff was there. But obviously that first inning killed me. Even if I get through that inning in 20 pitches, it puts the aspect of going back out there in a different scenario. That was the difference in me staying out there, I think.”

De La Rosa, who had no more than six strikeouts in any of his six previous big league starts, fanned seven of his first 10 batters while matching zeros with Harang through the first six innings.

“That kid’s got a bright future ahead of him,” Hudson said. “He’s good. He had good stuff. He’s got a great fastball, good command of his changeup and he’s got a good slider.”

Cameron Maybin had the first hit of the game, following Denorfia’s leadoff walk in the fifth with a clean single through the box. Both runners advanced on a one-out grounder by Rob Johnson, but De La Rosa escaped the jam by striking out Harang.

NOTES: On Sept. 9, 1965, Cubs LHP Bob Hendley pitched a one-hitter at Dodger Stadium — and Sandy Koufax beat him 1-0 with a perfect game. … Kemp, who will be swinging for the fences in Monday’s All-Star Home Run Derby, has homered only twice in his last 24 games and 81 at-bats. He averaged a home run every 12.3 at-bats through his first 67 games this season. … The Dodgers gave Derek Jeter his due, replaying his 3,000th hit on the videoboard before the game while organist Nancy Bea Hefley played a rousing rendition of “Yankee Doodle Dandy.” Another member of the 3,000-hit club — Tony Gwynn Sr. — watched it live from a couch in the Dodgers’ clubhouse, just a few feet from his son’s locker. “The only time I ever said anything to (Jeter) about hitting was when he came up to me during Game 1 of the World Series in New York in ’98,” Gwynn recalled later in the Padres’ dugout. “I was standing on second base and he said: ‘Man you need to teach me how to hit.’ And I said: ‘Yeah, right. You’re kidding me, right? You’re such a good hitter.’ I always thought he was a good hitter, ever since he came up. You just knew that, as consistent as he was, sooner or later he was going to get to this point.” … The Padres optioned RHP Pat Neshek to Triple-A Tucson to open a roster spot for Harang.

CBSSports.com wire reports
July 9, 2011

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers were still searching for their first hit of the game with two outs in the ninth inning. Nine pitches later, they had an improbable victory.

Juan Uribe doubled to left for Los Angeles’ first hit and Dioner Navarro drove him in with a single to center, sending the Dodgers to a 1-0 victory over the San Diego Padres on Saturday.

“Everybody wants to get that hit and be the guy,” Navarro said. “We just kept telling ourselves to be patient and do the best we can. I knew there was a base open and they were going to pitch around me, which they did. But then he threw a fastball in there. I was looking for a pitch up in the strike zone and I put some good wood on it.”

Uribe’s hit came on a 1-2 pitch and Navarro delivered on a 3-1 offering from Luke Gregerson (2-2), who struck out Matt Kemp to begin the inning, then got James Loney to ground out.

“I’ve seen some crazy things in my nine years in the big leagues,” Padres second baseman Orlando Hudson said, “but that’s the way the game goes. So what are you going to do? You just keep playing.”

Rubby De La Rosa and three relievers combined on a one-hitter that gave the Dodgers three consecutive shutout victories for the first time since July 1991. Los Angeles has won nine of its last 19 games, and seven of those victories have been shutouts – including the last five.

Uribe was down to his last strike when he drove the pitch from Gregerson over the head of left fielder Chris Denorfia. The Padres have never had a no-hitter in their 43-year history.

“To tell the truth, I don’t think anyone in the bullpen knew there was a no-hitter going,” Gregerson said. “The starter was out of the game, so what did it matter at that point? It’s only fun if the starter goes nine innings and throws a no-hitter and your guys score some runs. But a loss is a loss at the end of the day.

“I made one bad pitch and that was it. It’s as simple as that,” Gregerson added. “The slider was working really good today and I just left one up and paid for it. I made a good pitch to Navarro and he got it. That’s all that matters.”

Blake Hawksworth (2-2) pitched a perfect ninth inning for the Dodgers after Matt Guerrier and Mike MacDougal each got three outs.

Aaron Harang started for San Diego and worked six innings, finishing with six strikeouts and three walks while throwing 95 pitches. Josh Spence came on and struck out his only batter, Andre Ethier, before Chad Qualls escaped a jam to keep the game scoreless.

Kemp reached on a two-base throwing error by shortstop Jason Bartlett and James Loney was intentionally walked before Qualls retired Uribe on a foul popup and Navarro on a comebacker.

Mike Adams got out of another scrape in the eighth, retiring Tony Gwynn Jr., Rafael Furcal and Ethier after Jamey Carroll drew a leadoff walk and third baseman Chase Headley committed a throwing error on a sacrifice by pinch-hitter Trent Oeltjen.

The 33-year-old Harang had missed 26 games because of a bruised right foot, which occurred during his 7-2 victory over Washington on June 9. At the time of his injury, he had a string of five straight starts in which he did not allow more than two runs.

Harang might have gone longer in this one had he not thrown 37 pitches in the first inning.

“I think if it was a different situation and I got through seven, it’s probably going to be a different,” Harang said. “I felt great. I felt like I was commanding the ball well and my off-speed stuff was there. But obviously that first inning killed me. Even if I get through that inning in 20 pitches, it puts the aspect of going back out there in a different scenario. That was the difference in me staying out there, I think.”

De La Rosa, who had no more than six strikeouts in any of his six previous big league starts, fanned seven of his first 10 batters while matching zeros with Harang through the first six innings.

“That kid’s got a bright future ahead of him,” Hudson said. “He’s good. He had good stuff. He’s got a great fastball, good command of his changeup and he’s got a good slider.”

Cameron Maybin had the first hit of the game, following Denorfia’s leadoff walk in the fifth with a clean single through the box. Both runners advanced on a one-out grounder by Rob Johnson, but De La Rosa escaped the jam by striking out Harang.

Notes

• On Sept. 9, 1965, Cubs LHP Bob Hendley pitched a one-hitter at Dodger Stadium — and Sandy Koufax beat him 1-0 with a perfect game.
• Kemp, who will be swinging for the fences in Monday’s All-Star Home Run Derby, has homered only twice in his last 24 games and 81 at-bats. He averaged a home run every 12.3 at-bats through his first 67 games this season.
• The Dodgers gave Derek Jeter his due, replaying his 3,000th hit on the videoboard before the game while organist Nancy Bea Hefley played a rousing rendition of Yankee Doodle Dandy. Another member of the 3,000-hit club — Tony Gwynn Sr. — watched it live from a couch in the Dodgers’ clubhouse, just a few feet from his son’s locker. “The only time I ever said anything to (Jeter) about hitting was when he came up to me during Game 1 of the World Series in New York in ’98,” Gwynn recalled later in the Padres’ dugout. “I was standing on second base and he said: `Man you need to teach me how to hit.’ And I said: `Yeah, right. You’re kidding me, right? You’re such a good hitter.’ I always thought he was a good hitter, ever since he came up. You just knew that, as consistent as he was, sooner or later he was going to get to this point.”
• The Padres optioned RHP Pat Neshek to Triple-A Tucson to open a roster spot for Harang.