Dodgers' Puig comes up big in the 7th, Phils lose 6-4

June 28, 2013

Box Score (From ESPN.com)

By Nick Tricome

While the Sixers were busy catching everyone off guard Thursday night, the Phillies were in Los Angeles to begin a four-game series with the Dodgers.

The Phillies were coming off a comeback win against the Padres in 13 innings the night before, while the Dodgers entered Thursday night on a five-game win streak. Behind a clutch single from Yasiel Puig, the Dodgers beat the Phillies 6-4.


It was the seventh inning, with the bases loaded and two out, and the Phillies had a 4-3 lead. After Justin De Fratus got Puig to fall into an 0-2 count, Puig hit a ground ball into left.

The hit allowed A.J. Ellis and Juan Uribe to score, giving the Dodgers a 5-4 lead.

However, one of those runs could have been prevented at the very least. Ellis was walked by De Fratus, but Uribe singled on a routine bunt in the next at-bat, because Ryan Howard failed to handle it.

It was a redeeming play for Puig, considering what happened in the top half of the seventh.

With the game tied at three, Chase Utley hit a liner into right. Puig chased after it, but the ball had enough carry on it to sail over the wall for a home run, leaving a collision with the wall as a consolation prize for Puig.

Domonic Brown also hit a solo home run in the second inning, good for his 21st homer of the season.

The home run was timely too, as the Phillies were down 3-0 by the end of the first.

Aside form the three runs that were allowed in the beginning of the game, Jonathan Pettibone put together a good start. He would pitch for six innings, keeping the Dodgers off the board for five.

Back-to-back RBI singles by Utley and Jimmy Rollins allowed the Phillies to tie the game at three against Dodgers'starter Zach Greinke, who would eventually get the win for Thursday night.

Greinke lasted seven innings, allowing four earned runs off 12 hits. Not the best outing ever, but it kept the Dodgers in it.

A sacrifice-fly by Ellis, that scored Matt Kemp, in the eighth made it 6-4. Then Kenley Jansen came in to get his seventh save of the year in the ninth.

The Phillies (38-42) remain stuck in third place in the NL East, trailing second place Washington by two games and first place Atlanta by 7.5.

The next game in the series is Friday night, with John Lannan (0-2, 5.84 ERA) and the Dodgers' Chris Capuano (2-4, 4.09 ERA) are the probable starters.

(Image from Hardball Talk)