Dodgers jump ahead, 6-1, thanks to big first inning
BASEBALL
Blake DeWitt's bases-loaded triple is the key hit in a five-run first as Dodgers bat around to stake Hiroki Kuroda to an early lead.
The Dodgers jumped out to an early 5-0 lead tonight against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series.
Batting around in the first inning against 45-year-old starter Jamie Moyer, the Dodgers scored three runs on a two-out triple by Blake DeWitt. Earlier, Manny Ramirez and Casey Blake had run-scoring singles. The Dodgers had five hits in the inning, and Russell Martin was hit by a pitch.
The Phillies came up scoreless in the first inning against right-hander Hiroki Kuroda, but got a run in the second on Ryan Howard's double and Pedro Feliz's two-out RBI single.
The Dodgers, however, answered with another run in the bottom of the second, on Rafael Furcal's leadoff home run.
The Dodgers lost the first two games in Philadelphia in the best-of-seven series and need a win to stave off near-certain elimination.
The Phillies, who lost all four games they played in Dodger Stadium during the regular season, started Moyer (16-7, 3.71 ERA), the oldest pitcher ever to start an LCS game.
Moyer lost in his first playoff start this year, against the Milwaukee Brewers in the division series Oct. 4, but led the Phillies staff in wins in the regular season. Kuroda, meanwhile, was the winning pitcher in the Dodgers' division series clincher against the Chicago Cubs.
The Dodgers, seeking their first World Series appearance in 20 years, were glad to return to their home turf at Chavez Ravine.
During the regular season, the club was 23-9 at Dodger Stadium after the All-Star break, the best home record in the major leagues in that span.
Against the Phillies, "A momentum switcher is what we need," Dodgers Manager Joe Torre said before Game 3.
"We need to get things back on our side. And I don't want to say it's more comfortable coming home, but it should give us a little more confidence, let's put it that way."
Only one team has recovered from an 0-3 deficit to win a league championship series and advance to the World Series. That was the Boston Red Sox in 2004, when they stormed back to win four straight from the New York Yankees, then managed by Torre.
Torre also said Game 1 loser Derek Lowe would return on three days' rest to start the fourth game for the Dodgers on Monday night.
"He's got the mind-set and the experience that makes him raise his hand any time you think about doing something like this," Torre said.
Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel agreed that the short period between Lowe's starts was inconsequential.
"The short rest will not bother him at all," Manuel said. "He's a veteran that loves to take the ball."
james.peltz@latimes.com
