Manny continues dominance of Moyer, Nomar caught looking
LOS ANGELES - In Boston, when he failed, and in New York, when he didn't, he was known as "Freakin' Nomah!"
For Phillies lefty Jamie Moyer, Nomar Garciaparra has always been a cause of anxiety.
YONG KIM / Staff photographer
Jamie Moyer looks down after giving up five runs in first inning.
Garciaparra last night started for the first time in the playoffs. He replaced first baseman James Loney, the Dodgers' most consistent playoff hitter, who was coming off a 2-for-4 performance in Game 2 and who was 1-for-2 against Moyer.
Garciaparra was 15-for-36 against Moyer, with eight extra-base hits.
So, Garciaparra started along with Casey Blake, the third baseman who hits righthanded and hits lefties better than Loney, who is lefthanded.
Notably, the Phillies' top relievers - Brad Lidge, Chad Durbin and Ryan Madson - are all righthanded, which made Loney a decent option off the bench.
Especially after Garciaparra embarrassed himself in Game 2 with a three-pitch strikeout by Lidge.
Dodgers manager Joe Torre said he told Garciaparra before Game 2 on Friday that Garciaparra would likely start Game 3.
Garciaparra batted fifth, after Russell Martin, who hit behind Manny Ramirez - a cozy spot for Martin.
Garciaparra went 2-for-3, and, sure enough, was replaced by Loney in the seventh to hit against righthander Durbin.
Ramirez entered last night 18-for-53 against Moyer with a whopping 10 homers and 20 RBI.
In Moyer's disastrous first inning, he managed to strike Garciaparra out looking. However, Ramirez added to his legacy of dominance with an RBI single. Moyer was removed in the second inning when Ramirez came to bat.
Freakin' Manny.
Thinking man's game
Derek Lowe will start tonight in Game 4 mainly because he's the best option. But also . . . The Phillies present too many dangerous lefthanded hitters for a team to be shorthanded with lefties in its bullpen: Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Greg Dobbs and Matt Stairs.
Dodgers manager Joe Torre considered giving a start to lefthander Clayton Kershaw, the club's 2006 first-round pick who began the season at Double A but finished 5-5 with a 4.26 earned run average in 22 major league games this season, 21 of them starts.
Pitching in relief in Game 2 on Friday, Kershaw retired the first five he faced, including Utley and Howard. That increased his bullpen value for Torre. Torre also factored in his reluctance to pitch lefty Hong-Chih Kuo on consecutive days since Kuo, his best middle reliever, has pitched just once since Sept. 14. Kuo battled a left triceps injury for almost 1 month.
With Kershaw in the 'pen, Torre always has at least two lefties available, including Joe Beimel.
"With Kuo not working every day out of the bullpen, and knowing their lefthanded side is pretty impressive, that Kershaw in the bullpen and Kuo in the bullpen and Beimel - I think we need those people there," Torre said. *
