The Dodgers begin their seven-game road trip with the top two teams in the NL East tonight in Philadelphia, a place where they have lost 10 of their last 12 games, including the playoffs. They welcome back Ronald Belisario, who was officially reinstated from the restricted list today.
Vicente Padilla has allowed two runs or less in each of his last eight starts, and is 4-2 with a 1.32 ERA over that span. His batting average on balls in play has been .193 during this run, so he has been lucky, but his FIP is roughly 3.11 over the same time frame, so he has still pitched very well.
In fact, Padilla has pitched very well in his nearly one year as a Dodger. If you would have told me last August 19, when the club signed the discarded Padilla to a minor league deal, that he would be 10-4 with a 3.19 ERA and a 1.034 WHIP in 24 games, including the playoffs, I would have laughed you out of the room. But, here we are.
Kyle Kendrick starts for the Phillies. James Loney has six hits in 10 career at-bats against him, including a double and a home run, and Andre Ethier is three for eight with two home runs off Kendrick, but neither have faced him since 2008. Kendrick has allowed just four runs in his last three starts, all Phillies wins.
The Phillies will have a second left-hander in the bullpen in Alberto Bastardo, writes Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.
Lineups
Dodgers | Phillies | |||
CF | Podsednik | SS | Rollins | |
2B | Theriot | 3B | Polanco | |
RF | Ethier | 1B | Gload | |
1B | Loney | LF | Ibañez | |
3B | Blake | CF | Werth | |
LF | Gibbons | RF | Brown | |
SS | Carroll | C | Ruiz | |
C | Ausmus | 2B | Valdez | |
P | Padilla | P | Kendrick |
Get your guesses in for Xeifrank's game simulation here.
Game Time: 4:05 p.m.
TV: KCAL