Billingsley dominates former Dodgers mates
LOS ANGELES -- In a four-game series between the Dodgers and Phillies that doubles as a reunion tour, it was Chad Billingsley's turn to beat his old mates in a 7-2 win for Philadelphia at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night.
One night after Jimmy Rollins knocked in the go-ahead RBIs against his old club, Billingsley, a Dodger for eight seasons, earned his first win since April 10, 2013. He threw six innings, allowing six hits and two runs, while striking out three. His lone mistake was serving up a two-run homer to All-Star catcher Yasmani Grandal in the sixth.
"It's been a long road," Billingsley said. "I was pretty excited to be back out there today, being a familiar atmosphere. There were a lot of emotions."
Brett Anderson had a three-start winning streak snapped in the loss for Los Angeles. He lasted five innings and tied a season-high by allowing four runs, three of which were earned. It was just the second time in his last 10 starts that Anderson did not last at least six innings.
"I was OK with Brett," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "He ended up with a lot of pitches, but I didn't feel like he got knocked around. There were a couple dribblers. I would've sent him back out there [in the sixth] if we didn't get into that hole there."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Billingsley bounces back: Billingsley had arguably his best start since recovering from a pair of right elbow surgeries the last two years, including Tommy John surgery in April 2013. The Phillies needed a quality start from him, too. It was just the sixth time in the last 21 games a Phillies starter pitched six or more innings, giving the bullpen a rare breather. More >
Video: PHI@LAD: Billingsley tops Dodgers in return to LA
Grandal's two-run blast: The Dodgers avoided the shutout when Grandal hit his second home run in as many nights with two outs in the sixth. The first-time All-Star has 14 home runs this season, already one short of his career high. Grandal finished 2-for-3 with a walk and is hitting .357 in his last nine games.
Video: PHI@LAD: Grandal belts two-run homer in the 6th
Fortuitous start: The Phillies got on the board early without a hit leaving the infield. Ben Revere beat out a grounder up the middle and stole second base. After a flyout and a walk, Justin Turner threw away a potentially inning-ending out on a grounder to third, and another infield single up the middle allowed Revere to score. More >
"Chopped infield hits and swinging bunts, I give up a lot of those," Anderson said. "It's frustrating but at least they mishit those balls instead of squaring them up like [Jeff] Francoeur did."
Video: PHI@LAD: Galvis opens scoring with RBI single
Phillies outfield plays: Phillies outfielders entered the game with the second-lowest OPS (.568) in baseball, but they enjoyed a good night. Jeff Francoeur hit a two-run double in the third and homered in the seventh. Domonic Brown had two outfield assists in the first two innings. He also knocked in a run and scored a run. Revere singled and scored in the first and knocked in two runs in the sixth.
"I tell you what set the tone for a good feeling were Brown's two assists," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said about the assists that came in the first two innings. "That was huge."
Video: PHI@LAD: Brown throws out Grandal going to third
QUOTABLE
"Yeah, it was weird. When I was out at second base, I was talking to Jimmy, he was like, 'Man, it's weird seeing you in a Phillies uniform and vice versa.' I was like, 'Yeah, it's a little different.' But it's fun." -- Billingsley, on pitching against his former team, one night after Rollins beat his former team with a hit
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Phillies second baseman Cesar Hernandez went 1-for-4 to extend his career-high hitting streak to 12 games. He is hitting .451 (23-for-51) with seven multi-hit games during the streak. More >
UPON FURTHER REVIEW
In the fifth inning, the Dodgers challenged the ruling on the field that Rollins was out on a grounder to lead off the inning. Darin Ruf fielded the grounder and flipped to Billingsley, who reached the base an instant before Rollins. The call on the field was confirmed after a review.
Video: PHI@LAD: Ruf's out of Rollins confirmed after review
WHAT'S NEXT
Phillies: The Phillies like what they have seen so far from left-hander Adam Morgan, who pitches Wednesday night at 10:10 p.m. ET against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. He allowed five hits and two runs last weekend in Atlanta, which was enough to give him a longer look in the Phillies' rotation.
Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw takes the mound in his final start before the All-Star break. Kershaw is one of the five candidates for the 2015 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote in the National League. Kershaw has a 1.78 ERA in his last eight starts, but is 3-3 in that span.
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