Phillies Fall To Dodgers, 4-3
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Elian Herrera hit a tiebreaking RBI single off Jonathan Papelbon in the ninth inning to lift the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 on Monday night.
Placido Polanco hit a tying, two-run homer to help the Phillies rally from a 3-0 deficit against Clayton Kershaw, but it wasn't enough.
Dee Gordon ripped a triple to right-center to start the ninth against Papelbon (0-2). Herrera followed with a grounder through the shortstop hole to put major league-leading Los Angeles ahead to stay.
Papelbon is 15 for 15 in save opportunities, but hasn't fared as well in non-save situations.
Kershaw, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, gave up three runs and eight hits in seven innings to remain winless in his
last three starts.
Ronald Belisario (1-0) tossed a scoreless eighth and Kenley Jansen finished for his seventh save in 10 tries.
The five-time defending NL East champion Phillies have lost three straight to fall back to .500. But they're just four games behind first-place Washington.
Phillies starter Vance Worley allowed four runs and five hits in four innings in his first start since May 11. Worley had been sidelined with an elbow injury.
John Mayberry Jr. got Philadelphia's rally started in the third with a line-drive double off the top of the wall in left. Freddy Galvis singled to right to drive him in. Two outs later, Polanco hit a tying shot out to left. Polanco fell behind in the count 0-2 and worked it full before connecting for just his second homer of the season. Polanco had gone deep just once in his previous 261 at-bats, counting the postseason.
Phillies right fielder Hunter Pence saved at least one run when he made a sliding catch on Gordon's hard liner with two outs and two runners on in the fourth.
The Phillies missed a chance to take a lead in the fifth after Jimmy Rollins lined a triple to left-center with one out.
Polanco then hit a grounder to drawn-in shortstop Gordon, who easily threw out Rollins trying to score.
Pence grounded out weakly to second to leave the bases loaded in the seventh.
The Dodgers jumped on Worley in the first, taking advantage of his control problems to score two runs. Worley walked Herrera and Andre Ethier with one out. Juan Rivera and Bobby Abreu followed with consecutive RBI singles.
Los Angeles tacked on a third run in the second. Adam Kennedy led off with a bloop double to left. He advanced to third on Kershaw's sacrifice and scored on Gordon's infield single.
Dodgers manager Don Mattingly and bench coach Trey Hillman were ejected in the sixth inning by plate umpire D.J. Reyburn. Jerry Hairston Jr. was called out on strikes to end the top of the inning. He argued briefly before taking the field. Hillman got tossed while yelling from the dugout and Mattingly was ejected when he came out afterward.
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