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Series Preview: Dodgers at Phillies, 8/10-8/12


The Dodgers (58-54) will return to Philadelphia for the first time since losing last season's National League Championship Series, this week when they take on the Phillies (62-49) in a 3-game series.

Los Angeles has lost 9 of its last 10 road games and have lost 5 straight away from home. The Dodgers will send former Phillie Vicente Padilla to the mound to end the slide. It will be his first appearance against the Phils since he gave up 6 runs in 3 innings in the deciding game of the NLCS last year. The Phillies will counter with refined righty Kyle Kendrick, who has a 1.35 ERA in his last 3 home starts.

In the regular season last year, Los Angeles won 2 of 3 games at Citizens Bank Park and 4 of 7 overall.

Read ahead for details on the pitching match ups for this series as well as tons of other key information.

Tuesday, 7:05pm. Vicente Padilla (5-3, 3.09 ERA) vs. Kyle Kendrick (7-4, 4.37 ERA). In his last 5 starts, Padilla has posted a 2-1 record with a 0.79 ERA. In 26 starts at Citizens Bank Park, Padilla is 10-11 with a 4.98 ERA. Raul Ibanez is 9-for-28 (.321 avg) with 2 homers against Padilla. In his last 3 starts, Kendrick has posted a 2-0 record with a 1.86 ERA. In 4 career starts against the Dodgers, Kendrick is 2-2 with a 7.29 ERA. James Loney is 6-for-10 (.600 avg) with a double and a HR against Kendrick.

Wednesday, 7:05pm. Chad Billingsley (9-6, 3.82 ERA) vs. Roy Oswalt (6-13, 3.50 ERA). In 11 road starts this season, Billingsley is 5-2 with a 2.95 ERA and a .262 batting avg. against. In his last 4 starts, Billingsley is 2-1 with a 0.98 ERA. In 10 career games against the Dodgers, Oswalt has a 6-3 record with a 3.47 ERA. Oswalt has a 4.38 ERA through 2 starts with the Phillies. Rafael Furcal, who recently missed 6 games with a back issue, is 6-for-17 (.353 avg) against Oswalt in his career.

Thursday, 7:05pm. Clayton Kershaw (10-7, 3.19 ERA) vs. Joe Blanton (4-6, 5.65 ERA). Kershaw is 4-4 with a 3.02 ERA in 10 road starts this season. In his last 5 starts, Kershaw is 1-3 with a 4.02 ERA. In 4 regular season starts against the Phillies, Kershaw has a 0-3 record with a 6.64 ERA. In his last 5 starts, Blanton is 1-1 with a 3.82 ERA. Andre Ethier is 5-for-11 (.455 avg) with 2 homeruns against Blanton in regular season action. Casey Blake is 1-for-21 (.048 avg) against Blanton is his career.


In 13 regular season games at Citizens Bank Park, James Loney is a .396 hitter with a 1.070 OPS. Since the All-star break, Loney is batting .202, compared to his .309 batting average before the break.

Every Philadelphian's favorite Dodger, Jonathan Broxton, has a 6.75 ERA in 7 games since the All-star break.

Raul Ibanez has a career high 16-game hitting streak going, during which he has posted a .407 average, 4 homers and 16 RBI.

In 19 home games this season, Brad Lidge has 9 saves in 11 chances and 3.31 ERA. In his last 5 outings, Lidge has not allowed a run, while allowing just 2 baserunners.

The Phils are slated to recall lefty reliever Antonio Bastardo, who had been excellent at triple-A Lehigh Valley with a 0.00 ERA, 13 K's and no walks in his last 10 outings there, prior to the series.

Dodgers team runs scored- 489
Phillies team runs scored- 524

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