The key to Maikel Franco’s success is not trying to do too much.
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Adrian Gonzalez joined the home run parade, hitting two on Wednesday night to lead the Dodgers to a 7-2 win over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. I didn’t know that.
I mean, hey, you get what you pay for.
I love the Ryan Howard shot along with Utley saluting multiple times toward all parts of the stadium.
“I haven’t had a hit here before?”
Turner added his two-run shot in the fifth, after a single by Corey Seager, to increase the Los Angeles lead to 5-1. The fans made us better players individually and gave us a chance to win on a daily basis. “We had a lead late”.
With one out, it looked like Elvis Araujo, who had come on in relief to start the inning, might have a way to work out of the jam. Things fell apart quickly though and after a base-hit and two walks, the Dodgers had scored three times in the inning, to make it 8-2. With Los Angeles trailing 1-0 in the fourth, Gonzalez lined a 3-1 fastball into the seats in right-center field for a three-run homer.
“No doubt a little extra adrenaline is flowing”, Utley said. As has often been the case with the Phillies’ young pitchers this season, Thompson was way ahead in the count – in this case at 1-2 – only to see an opponent take an aggressive swing. Kazmir allowed eight hits and two runs while striking out one and walking three.
He has a 10-game hitting streak, hitting.
“We got plenty of hits but we didn’t get them when they counted”, Mackanin said. “Tonight it wasn’t the greatest, and he got burned, but he threw an very bad lot of good curveballs”.
Utley’s grand slam was his second a Dodger and his first in Philadelphia since June 1, 2005 against RHP LaTroy Hawkins and the San Francisco Giants.
Utley’s throwing error in the second led to an unearned run as Aaron Altherr’s RBI single brought Philadelphia to 3-1.
The only mistake he made the rest of the way was to Yasmani Grandal with one out in the fourth. Turner’s homer came the next inning and then Gonzalez topped it off in the seventh.
The homer was Howard’s only hit of the night – he also walked – but since the All-Star Break he’s hitting.357 (20-for-56) with four doubles, seven homers, 16 RBIs and an.804 slugging percentage. He has spent time with multiple teams, but what he was able to do tonight is the exact reason the Dodgers picked him up from the Blue Jays.
And Philadelphia closed to 4-3 on Featherston’s double to left-center.
Utley hit two home runs in the game as well, one of them being a grand slam.
It was Gonzalez’s 11th homer of the season and extended his hitting streak to 10 games. Today is the first time since April that the Dodgers have remained in first place on back to back games.
The Philies moved all fans with tickets in sections 104 and 105 in right field because of an issue with the scoreboard that overhangs those sections.
During Utley’s subsequent plate appearances, the scoreboard showed photos of him in his evolution from earnest first-round draft pick to franchise favorite.
In the 2009 World Series, he homered five times though the Phillies lost the Series in six games.
“That’s a game that leaves a sour taste”, Roberts said.
Dodgers: The Dodgers plan to activate LHP Adam Liberatore (2-0, 1.62) on Friday.
Phillies: Hernandez said he will be in the lineup on Friday.
The Dodgers will start veteran left-hander Scott Kazmir tonight. he is 9-6 with a 4.44 ERA.
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Franco’s hit helped bail out Phillies’ starter Jerad Eickhoff, who pitched well after the first three batters of the game.
