GAME THREAD: NL: LA DODGERS (64-61) at PHILADELPHIA (66-58)

Offensive outburst lifts Dodgers over Phillies

<h3>LA DODGERS 15, PHILADELPHIA 3</h3>By Vince DiGregorio
PA Sports Ticker Contributing Writer


PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) - The injuries appear to have finallycaught up with the Philadelphia Phillies.


Andre Ethier belted a two-run homer and had three RBI and DerekLowe tossed seven effective innings as the Los Angeles Dodgersrouted the Phillies, 15-3, at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday.

James Loney also drove in three runs and Jeff Kent and Matt Kempeach added two RBI to help Lowe win his second straight startafter going 0-5 in his previous eight outings.


"Derek was on the top of his game for seven innings and it'sgood to see him back throwing the ball like he's throwing now,"Los Angeles manager Grady Little said.


The victory kept the Dodgers (65-61) 2 1/2 games behind the SanDiego Padres (67-59) for the wild card berth in the NationalLeague. The Phillies (66-59) fell one game behind the Padres,who defeated the New York Mets, 7-5, on Wednesday.

"At this time of the year, you shouldn't have any problemgetting up for a game," Ethier said. "We're trying to win andtrying to get back to get into a race to make the playoffs."

Lowe (10-11) allowed three runs on six hits with no walks andthree strikeouts and improved to 3-0 in five starts against thePhillies since joining the Dodgers.


"This park normally isn't pitcher-friendly," Lowe said. "The(15) runs definitely didn't hurt."


Philadelphia lefthander Cole Hamels, the scheduled starter, wasplaced on the 15-day disabled list prior to the game with a mildleft elbow strain. That allowed the Dodgers to take advantageof Phillies righthander J.D. Durbin, who was moved up a day topitch in Hamels' spot.


"You've got to take advantage no matter who it is (on themound)," Ethier said. "In the past, we've let some guys off thehook that we shouldn't have. We got up for the big pitchers."

The Dodgers took an early 1-0 lead with an unearned run in thefirst inning. After Greg Dobbs booted a potential inning-endinggrounder, Ethier made it 1-0 on an RBI double two batterslater.


"I just got the opportunity with men on base and a chance todrive in runs," Ethier said. "Capitalized right there andthat's what we needed to do to keep rolling along."

Los Angeles upped its margin to 3-0 in the fourth. Kent strokeda one-out double before Ethier drove Durbin's first pitch deepinto the right-center field seats for his 10th home run of theseason.


Dobbs got the Phillies on the board with an RBI groundout in thefifth.


Los Angeles added two more runs off Durbin in the sixth onKent's RBI double and Loney's run-scoring single.


"We've faced (Durbin) before," Loney said. "He's around theplate. We've got a good-looking lineup out there pretty muchevery night. We know that we're capable of putting up a lot ofruns."


Durbin (5-3) hurled six innings and allowed five runs - fourearned - on six hits.


"Cole going down obviously is a big hit for us right now,"Durbin said. "I've got to step into that role and if I'm goingon four days rest, I can do it. It's just that I've got toexecute better and prepare myself a little bit better."

The Dodgers broke the game open by batting around in the seventhinning and scoring five times off reliever Jose Mesa. Loney'stwo-run single highlighted the outburst.


Los Angeles scored 12 of its runs in the final four innings.

"Durbin did all right," Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuelsaid. "They scored a lot of runs off our bullpen."

Rafael Furcal and Kemp each scored three runs for Los Angeles.Kemp finished with four hits.


Chris Coste accounted for the Phillies' other runs with atwo-run home run in the seventh, his third long ball of theseason.