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Los Angeles Dodgers at Phillies
Citizens Bank Park, 4:35 p.m.
TV: Fox.
Radio: WPHT (1210-AM), ESPN (950), WUBA (1480-AM) Spanish.
Weather: Sunny, low 70s.
Game Line: Phillies -$120; Dodgers +$110.
Over/Under: 8 runs.
Phillies RHP Brett Myers (10-13, 4.55 ERA)
- 30 starts; 9.33 hits/9 innings; 2.51 strikeouts/walks; 29 HRs)
- Vs. Dodgers: 1-1 2008; 4-2 career.
- 2008 postseason: 1-0; 2.57 ERA; 1 start; 2.57 hits/9 innings; 1.33 strikeouts/walks.
- Career postseason: 1-0; 2.16 ERA; 3 games, 1 start; 4.32 hits/9 innings; 2.33 strikeouts/walks.
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Dodgers RHP Chad Billingsley (16-10, 3.14 ERA)
- 35 games, 32 starts; 8.43 hits/9 innings; 2.51 strikeouts/walks; 14 HRs)
- Vs. Phillies: 0-1 2008; 1-1 career.
- 2008 postseason: 1-0; 1.35 ERA; 1 start; 6.75 hits/9 innings; 7.00 strikeouts/walks.
- Career postseason: 1-1; 1.04 ERA; 3 games, 1 start; 6.23 hits/9 innings; 10.00 strikeouts/walks.
1. Brett Myers needs to do it again.
Pitch focused, maybe angry. He faced and beat Chad Billingsley in the Phillies' August sweep of the swooning Dodgers, seven shutout innings with eight strikeouts. Myers was loose yesterday ... which he wasn't before his terrific Game 2 start against the Brewers. Big game or not, Myers, an emotional cauldron, seems to pitch best when he's got a chip on his shoulder, and that doesn't seem to be the case right now.
2. Righthanded hitting.
Hate to belabor the point, but Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard need help; preferably, from power sources Pat Burrell and Jayson Werth. All four Phillies righties (add Pedro Feliz and Carlos Ruiz) have had success against Billingsley - they're a combined 11-for-31 - but, this season, which has been Billingsley's best, they're just 1-for-11.
3. Hang in there, baby.
Billingsley walked five Phillies in his August loss, and struck out just three. He struck out 201 hitters this season ... which means he can throw a lot of pitches, and he can spend himself with some meat left in the game. He lasted at least seven innings just once in his last seven starts, over which he was 4-1 with a 3.43 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 42 innings. Take away that Phillies loss and he was 4-0 with a 3.30 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 36 innings.
Game 3: Phillies at Los Angeles (Sunday, 8:22 p.m.): Phillies' Jamie Moyer (16-7) vs. Hiroki Kuroda (9-10)
Game 4: Phillies at Los Angeles (Monday, 8:22 p.m.): Phillies' Joe Blanton (4-0) vs. Clayton Kershaw (5-5) or Greg Maddux (8-13)
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