Phillies 6, Dodgers 2: Second place

Scott Kazmir has been a lot of things this season, but “consistent” is not one of them. After three straight outings of sub-50 Game Scores, though, it was good Kaz who showed up today.

Kazmir worked into the seventh inning, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out six. He allowed a pair of baserunners in the top of the seventh and, with 100 pitches under his belt, was removed for Grant Dayton. Kazmir wound up getting tagged for two earned runs when those runners came in to score on a Freddy Galvis home run. That dinger was the first hit Dayton had allowed in five Major League innings this season.

Phillies starter Jeremy Hellickson struggled through the first inning, and was lucky to escape with only one run allowed. Josh Reddick and Corey Seager hit back-to-back one-out singles, and Reddick came in to score on an Adrian Gonzalez ground ball double that was deflected off of first base umpire Alan Porter’s foot. Hellickson then settled in pretty nicely, retiring 13 consecutive Dodger batters before exiting with back tightness. He struck out seven and walked one.

The Dodgers had more than a few opportunities to rally against the Phillies bullpen. This unfortunate incident thwarted one such opportunity in the bottom of the sixth inning. Seager got himself into a rundown, and Reddick, attempting to take home as that occurred, then got nabbed in a rundown himself.

Howie Kendrick doubled with one out in the bottom of the seventh, and Rob Segedin picked up his fifth RBI of the season by singling him in. He wound up stranded.

Seager doubled in the bottom of the eighth and Grandal walked, but a nice play by Galvis at shortstop robbed Joc Pederson of a hit and a potential RBI.

Kenley Jansen came in to pitch the top of the ninth, despite the Dodgers trailing, and got roughed up. He walked Carlos Ruiz, who stole second, and, after a strikeout, gave up a base hit to Odubel Herrera, who also stole second. Jansen then intentionally walked Galvis, bringing Ryan Howard to the plate as a pinch hitter. Howard cleared the bases with a double.

The Dodgers stranded two more runners in the bottom of the ninth, failing to complete the sweep and falling back into second place in the NL West.