Phillies vs. Dodgers preview

7:05, Citizens Bank Park. TV: Comcast SportsNet. Radio: WPHT (1210-AM); WUBA (1480-AM) Spanish.

Phillies RHP Kyle Kendrick (7-4, 4.37) vs. Dodgers RHP Vicente Padilla (5-3, 3.09)

Brad Lidge: The Phillies closer has opened August in strong fashion, converting all four of his save opportunities while allowing just two baserunners with four strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings over five total chances.

Dodgers: They enter the series just 9-15 since the All-Star Break and recently lost catcher Russell Martin for the season with a hip injury.

Phillies vs. Vicente Padilla: They've had mixed success against their former ace. In Game 2 of the NLCS last October, Padilla won a pitching duel with Pedro Martinez, holding the Phils to one run on four hits in 7 1/3 innings of the Dodgers' 2-1 win. Then, in Game 5, he allowed six runs in three innings of a 10-4 loss. Padilla is coming off a two-hit shutout of the Padres.

Kyle Kendrick vs. Dodgers: Kendrick is trying to extend what has been his best three-start stretch of the year: wins over Colorado, Arizona and Florida in which he has allowed just four earned runs with 13 strikeouts and four walks in 19 1/3 innings.

Kendrick vs. Andre Ethier & James Loney: The Dodgers' two lefties are a combined 9-for-18 with three home runs and two doubles in their careers off of Kendrick. Lefties have a .947 OPS off of him this season, compared with a .676 OPS by righties.

Wednesday vs. Dodgers: Phillies RHP Roy Oswalt (0-1, 4.38) vs. Dodgers RHP Chad Billingsley (9-6, 3.82)

Thursday vs. Dodgers: Phillies RHP Joe Blanton (4-6, 5.65) vs. Dodgers LHP Clayton Kershaw (10-7, 3.19)

Friday vs. Mets: Phillies LHP Cole Hamels (7-8, 3.45) vs. Mets RHP R.A. Dickey (7-5, 2.65)