Hamels, Phillies beat Dodgers 3-0

[June 05, 2009]  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Cole Hamels turned in another dominating performance against the Los Angeles Dodgers, pitching a five-hitter for his third career shutout, and the Philadelphia Phillies extended their winning streak to seven games with a 3-0 victory Thursday night.

In his first start in Los Angeles since winning the clincher of the NL championship series, Hamels (4-2) threw 97 pitches, retiring 18 of his last 20 batters and allowing only two runners as far as second base -- one of them on defensive indifference in the ninth. The 25-year-old left-hander struck out five and walked none while lowering his ERA to 4.40.

The complete game was Hamels' fifth in 94 career starts, and the first this season by the Phillies' staff.

Los Angeles has the best record in baseball at 37-19, with Philadelphia right behind at 32-20. But in the Dodgers' last four games, they have managed just two runs and 15 hits in 28 innings against their opponents' starting pitchers. They came into this four-game series leading the NL in team batting average and runs scored.

Hamels won both starts against the Dodgers in the LCS, including a 5-1 decision at Chavez Ravine that wrapped up the Phillies' first pennant since 1993. In his May 14 start against them at Philadelphia, he gave up two runs in seven innings and settled for a no-decision in the Phillies' 5-3 loss.

Clayton Kershaw (3-4) threw 105 pitches over 5 1-3 innings, allowing two runs and four hits. The 21-year-old lefty is 0-3 with a 6.64 ERA in four career starts against Philadelphia.

Kershaw was pitching for the first time in eight days. His scheduled start on Monday was pushed back to allow manager Joe Torre to insert Hiroki Kuroda back into the rotation after two months on the disabled list, keeping everyone else on their normal rest.

The Phillies opened the scoring in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly by Ryan Howard. Jimmy Rollins flied out with two runners in scoring position to end the fifth, but Raul Ibanez made it 2-0 in the sixth with a run-scoring double that increased his league-leading RBI total to 53.

Former Dodgers outfielder Jayson Werth drove in the Phillies' third run with a two-out single in the seventh.

Los Angeles got a hit in each of the first three innings. The first two baserunners were erased on double-play grounders by the next batter. In the third, Kershaw tried to stretch a two-out single to right-center into a double and was thrown out by right fielder Eric Bruntlett.

Notes: Phillies RHP Brett Myers underwent surgery on his right hip Thursday in New York, and will probably be sidelined for the rest of the season. ... Thursday marked exactly 45 years since the Phillies were no-hit by the Dodgers' Sandy Koufax in a 3-0 loss at Connie Mack Stadium. His catcher was Doug Camilli -- who was born in Philadelphia. The no-hitter was one of four pitched by Koufax, and his only one on the road. ... Hamels has not thrown a wild pitch in 344 2-3 innings since July 14, 2007 against St. Louis, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. ... Shane Victorino missed his first game of the season because of a left hip strain, leaving Howard as the only Phillies player to start in all 52 games this season. Victorino warmed up Hamels for the eighth while Carlos Ruiz was putting on his gear and bounced a throw back to the mound.

[Associated Press]

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