Inevitable: Dodgers 5, Phillies 3 (12)

Cliff Lee and Clayton Kershaw locked horns in a pitching duel, with each team scoring just a single run through nine innings, until the Phillies broke through for two runs in the top of the tenth. Then Jonathan Papelbon blew the save, and Matt Kemp avenged a humiliating strikeout at the hands of Kyle Kendrick in the bottom of the ninth with a walkoff home run in the 12th, propelling the Dodgers to a 5-3 victory, averting a sweep at the hands of the Phillies.

Lee was terrific, walking just one and giving up two hits through eight, striking out four, the only damage coming on a solo home run by Juan Rivera in the second. Kershaw was almost as good, but was worn down by the Phillies batters, exiting the game after eight innings, striking out seven and walking none.

Lee appeared poised to pitch (at least) nine innings, competing the eighth having thrown just 89 pitches. The Phillies managed to load the bases in the top of the ninth with two outs and Lee's due to bat. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel pinch-hit Jason Pridie for Lee, and Pridie failed to drive in the run. Of course.

The bottom of the ninth saw the Phillies deploy four pitchers -- Antonio Bastardo, Jeremy Horst, Kyle Kendrick, and Michael Schwimer -- in a valiant and ultimately successful effort to keep the Dodgers off the board.

In the top of the tenth, the Phillies scored two on another big late hit from Hunter Pence, a two-run single just like last night. With Papelbon ready, things seemed ready to go.

Except oh well. Papelbon allowed a leadoff double to Luis Cruz, who scored on an RBI single from Bobby Abreu. Abreu would score on a Matt Kemp RBI single, and the score was knotted at 3-3, where it would remain until Jake Diekman surrendered his walkoff blast to Kemp.

The Phillies are off tomorrow, and will return home for a three game weekend series against the San Francisco Giants. Peace.

Source: FanGraphs