Quite obviously, the first game of the series against the San Diego Padres did not end as the Phillies, and their fans, had hoped. However, the team did rally to secure the next two games, meaning they headed into their series against the Los Angeles Dodgers with a series win. Hoping to extend the small two-game winning streak was California-native Jonathan Pettibone, who was coming off a start in which he left with an apparent back injury. He would oppose former AL Cy Young winner Zack Greinke and an LA team that has won five in a row.
To say things got off to an ugly start would be a dramatic understatement. Peittbone would allow a leadoff walk to Skip Schumaker. Young phenom Yasiel Puig hit one hard off Pettibone's foot, which allowed Jimmy Rollins to make the first out at second base. Adrian Gonzalez followed with a single out to right field, which would move Puig to third. Consecutive doubles by Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier would give the Dodgers a quick three-run lead. A.J. Ellis flew one to right that, by some miracle, Delmon Young made an impressive running catch on. Juan Uribe would ground out to finish it, but LA took a 3-0 lead.
The Phillies would quickly get one of those runs back when Domonic Brown smashed his 21st homerun of the season to right centerfield. They'd continue to try to climb back into it, as Delmon Young would single and Kevin Frandsen walked. Unfortunately, things would come to a screeching halt. Humberto Quintero flied out to Kemp for the first out. Young was promptly picked off at second base for out number two, and Pettibone would strike out for the third. 3-1 Dodgers.
Scoring opportunities were scarce following these at bats, so when the next one came for the Phillies, they took advantage of it. Pettibone, who had settled nicely into the game, singled with one out in the fifth inning. Ben Revere would follow with a hard hit ball ricocheted off Greinke's foot and into right field. With the infield shifted for the double play, the ball went into no man's land and Pettibone made it to third. Chase Utley followed nicely with a bloop hit to left centerfield. Pettibone scored and Revere made it up to third. Jimmy Rollins would also single, bringing home Revere and tying the game. Ryan Howard ended things by grounding into a double play (on a 3-0 pitch, nonetheless), but the game was knotted up at 3.
With two out in the top of the seventh inning, West Coast star Chase Utley put his East Coast team ahead, blasting a ball into the right field seats for a solo shot. For the first time in the ballgame, the Phillies had the lead. 4-3 Phillies heading to the bottom of the inning.
Not wanting to limp to the finish, the Dodgers put up a fight in their half of the seventh. Ellis began it with a walk. Uribe followed with a dribbler up the first base line. Justin De Fratus, who had just replaced Pettibone, stopped short to let Howard make the play. However, Piece slipped and couldn't come up with it. Nick Punto sacrificed to put runners on second and third. Then, pinch hitter Hanley Ramirez was walked to load the bases with one away. De Fratus got the second out of the inning by striking out Schumaker, but would be plagued by the incredible bat of Puig. A single through the left side of the infield scored two, and the Dodgers were now back on top. Antonio Bastardo would come on to replace De Fratus with two outs and two on. On the first pitch, Gonzalez flew out to center field, and the inning was over. 5-4 Dodgers going into the eighth.
On quite a surprising note, Delmon Young recorded his first four hit since 2010. Unfortunately, through eight, it was all for nothing, as he was replaced by John Mayberry Jr. andthe Phillies were still trailing.
The Doders were able to tag on an extra run in the bottom of the eighth. After he singled, Matt Kemp stole both second and third on Bastardo. When Ellis flew out to right, Kemp tagged up and scored the sixth run of the game. 6-4 Dodgers.
Ben Revere would collect his third hit of the night, but Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen would save the game, and the Dodgers took Game One, 6-4, for their sixth straight win.
Certainly an unfortunate loss for the Phillies. It wasn't an ugly one like the last few L's have been. Instead, they battled equally with the Dodgers for a majority of the night. As always, there were a few things to pick at, like Delmon Young's baserunning and Mayberry Jr.'s arm. However, no glaring mistakes stole the show. With three games left in the series, the Phillies must go into Friday's game with a three game winning streak in mind. They'll have to do it with John Lannan on the mound, who will take on Chris Capuano in 10:10 action at Dodger Stadium.
