Before tonight's game, per Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times, Joe Torre explained his second consecutive benching of Matt Kemp like this:
Torre said Kemp is sitting because he wanted to field the same lineup that scored 15 runs yesterday.
The Dodgers did field the same lineup as last night, except for A.J. Ellis catching instead of Brad Ausmus, and the Dodgers didn't fare as well against Roy Oswalt as they did versus Kyle Kendrick (shocker, I know), losing to the Phillies 2-0 in the middle game of their three-game series.
Chad Billingsley walked a tightrope, but allowed just two runs in six innings. After allowing a run in the fourth inning, light-hitting former Dodger Wilson Valdez crushed a ball to the wall in center field to lead off the fifth inning. Scott Podsednik was shading Valdez toward right field, and couldn't quite get to the ball, which ended up a triple. Billingsley got two groundouts with the infield in, then a pop out by Placido Polanco to end the inning.
Then, in the sixth inning, the Phillies added another run and looked for more with runners on first and third and one out. Carlos Ruiz crushed a ball that had enough distance to become a three-run home run, but was just foul, and Billingsley recovered to retire Ruiz and Valdez to end his night.
Kemp entered the game, albeit briefly, in the top of the seventh inning, pinch hitting for Billingsley. Kemp struck out on Oswalt's 109th and final pitch of the game. Oswalt allowed five hits and two walks in seven scoreless innings to earn his first win since joining the Phillies.
Notes
- Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless seventh inning, his seventh straight scoreless outing to start his career. Jansen's seven straight scoreless outings of one inning or more is the longest streak ever to start an LA Dodger career, one more than Jeff Shaw.
- Chad Billingsley's walk in the sixth inning was the first of Domonic Brown's career, in Brown's 41st plate appearance
- Scott Podsednik had three hits tonight, including a double off the wall in the eighth inning
Clayton Kershaw will try to pitch the Dodgers to a series win tomorrow night, against Joe Blanton
WP - Roy Oswalt (7-13): 7 IP, 5 hits, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts
LP - Chad Billingsley (9-7): 6 IP, 5 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, 3 strikeouts
Sv - Brad Lidge (15): 1 IP, 2 strikeouts