Dodgers Blast Moyer; Phils Lead Series 2-1
Jamie Moyer was cooked from the very beginning. He gave up six runs in 1.1 innings, as the Phillies dropped game three of the best-of-seven National League Championship Series, 7-2. The Phils are now ahead 2-1 in the series.
The Dodgers had a plan to beat Moyer, and they succeeded, knocking him around with a few singles, before Blake DeWitt nailed the three-RBI triple that did in the 45-year-old. Rafael Furcal’s leadoff home run in the second was pretty much the end for Moyer.
The momentum was all in the Dodgers’ corner, and a couple wild pitches didn’t help the cause. Both Moyer and Clay Condrey threw pitches that hit or brushed Russell Martin, and Los Angeles retaliated when Hiroki Kuroda flew one above Shane Victorino’s head. The heat continued until Victorino grounded out, prompting both benches to clear. Manny Ramirez was fired up. The crowd was hot. It wasn’t the best of events for a team trying to hold a lead in the series.
Still, the bullpen extinguished the Dodgers after Moyer departed. JA Happ did surrender a run during his three innings, but Condrey, Scott Eyre, Chad Durbin and JC Romero gave up no hits during their stints. Confidence is high on pitching going into game four.
But confidence is low on hitting. After getting two early runs (thanks partly to a rejuvenated Ryan Howard, who went 2-for-4), the Phils mailed it in at the plate. Jimmy Rollins is becoming hard to watch, as his flailing swing contributed to two strikeouts. Hitting .077 in the series, he’s struggling huge, and must get going if the Phils want a better chance at winning the series.
Call this one decided almost before Mary Hart’s grating, seizure-inducing squeak could escape my head. Kuroda posed huge problems for the lineup, while Moyer was the kind of pitcher this patient team could tee off against. It didn’t look good in scouting; it didn’t look good in the result.
Associated Press photo
