Cliff Lee too much for Dodgers; Dee Gordon re-injures shoulder
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And that would be the Phillies’ other ace.
One night after the Dodgers fell to Philadelphia’s Roy Halladay, they had even less luck with left-hander Cliff Lee.
As in, zero luck. As in, left looking completely overmatched.
Lee shut out the Dodgers in his eight innings Tuesday, holding the Dodgers to four hits in the Phillies’ 2-1 victory at Dodger Stadium before an announced crowd of 46,547.
All four of the Dodgers’ hits against Lee were singles, same as on Monday when they collected 13 base hits.
The Dodgers avoided the shutout when Casey Blake singled in a run in the ninth against closer Ryan Madson.
Lee even managed to throw in some hitting with the required nightly solo home run against Ted Lilly in the seventh. It was his second homer of the season.
Otherwise, Lilly actually pitched very well. He went eight innings -- his longest outing of the year -- allowing the two runs on six hits and a walk. He struck out five and fell to 7-12.
The night, of course, was not without more trouble for the Dodgers.
Rookie shortstop Dee Gordon, returning after missing a pair of starts with a sore right shoulder, apparently re-injured it in the eighth inning.
Gordon took a hard swing at a Lee pitch in the eighth and walked out of the batter’s box wincing. He huddled with trainer Stan Conte and left the game in mid at-bat.
Tuesday’s game was scoreless entering the third when the Phillies slipped a run past Lilly. Wilson Valdez singled and was sacrificed to second by Lee.
Jimmy Rollins then looped a soft hit just over the glove of first baseman Blake to drive in Valdez.
It remained a 1-0 game going into the seventh, when Lee stunned Lilly with a home run that landed several rows up the right-field pavilion.
It was the 25th home run this season allowed by Lilly, fourth highest in the major leagues.
Lee went to 12-7 with the victory. He struck out 10 and has now allowed one earned run in his 22 1/3 career innings against the Dodgers.
Madson gave up a leadoff single to Andre Ethier in the ninth. Two outs later, Blake’s single drove in the Dodgers’ lone run. Madson picked up his second save in as many nights and 21st on the season.
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-- Steve Dilbeck