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The Dodgers loaded their batting order full of right-handed batters Monday night, but it didn't matter as Cliff Lee mowed down the lineup with ease. Lee struck out 10 in his seven shutout innings, en route to a 3-1 Phillies' victory, their 13th in the Dodgers' last 16 games in Philadelphia, including the playoffs. The only starters that Cliff Lee didn't strike out were Jamey Carroll, who was 3-for-4, and Ted Lilly, who is 0-for his last 41, dating back to last season. Lee has allowed one run in 22 1/3 innings in his career against the Dodgers, including the playoffs.
On the mound, Lilly was good, rightly taking advantage, like Lee, of home plate umpire Mark Carlson's wide strike zone. Lilly allowed two runs in six innings, striking out four. In 25 starts as a Dodger Lilly has 26 unintentional walks. The Phillies scored both runs off Lilly in the third, when a leadoff double by relief pitcher extraordinaire Wilson Valdez was eventually followed by a walk and two singles.
The Phillies added another run when eternal Dodgers tormentor Carlos Ruiz hit an RBI double off the wall in left field in the eighth inning.
We got to see the lightning quickness of Dee Gordon, who made his MLB debut as a pinch runner in the top of the ninth inning. Gordon advanced to third in the blink of an eye on a single by James Loney, then scored on a groundout by Andre Ethier. Gordon is the first Dodger to score as a pinch runner in his MLB debut since Wilton Guerrero on September 3, 1996. Gordon is expected to start at shortstop Tuesday, his first major league start.
It's always frustrating not to score, at least until the ninth inning, when the top two reach base five times. Carroll had three hits and is 8-for-13 in his last three games, and Aaron Miles was 2-for-4. Juan Uribe welcomed himself back from the DL with two hits of his own, but Marcus Thames wasn't so productive. The left fielder, batting third tonight as Ethier wasn't in the starting lineup against the southpaw Lee, was 0-for-4, leaving those top two on base all night. Blake Hawksworth also returned from the disabled list, pitching a scoreless seventh inning.
Rubby De La Rosa makes his first major league start on Tuesday, against Roy Oswalt.
WP - Cliff Lee (5-5): 7 IP, 7 hits, 1 walk, 10 strikeouts
LP - Ted Lilly (4-5): 6 IP, 5 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts
Sv - Ryan Madson (13): 1 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 2 strikeouts