Dodgers snap losing streak with win over Phillies

What do you get the 90-year-old who has everything? Their clinching celebration postponed in Philadelphia, the Dodgers might have reason to party twice at Dodger Stadium. Tommy Lasorda’s 90th birthday will be recognised before the game - and they could clinch their fifth consecutive NL West title with a victory against the San Francisco Giants.
The Dodgers held a lead in the sixth inning or later in each of their four games in Philadelphia. They finally made one stand up Thursday afternoon, beating the Phillies, 5-4, to avoid a four-game sweep and snap their four-game losing streak.
The win finally shaves the Dodgers’ magic number to one - and maintains their dwindling leads for the best record in baseball and the National League.
“Yes, a little bit,” Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen said when asked if he was surprised to be flying home without having clinched the division. “But what can you do? It’s so much better to celebrate at home in front of your fans.
“That’s a good birthday present for him (Lasorda). But you know what he really wants is that (World Series) championship. We’ll just give him this one for now.”
The Dodgers did have reason to celebrate in Philadelphia - when X-rays on Justin Turner’s right thumb came back negative. Turner was hit in the right hand by a pitch in his first at-bat and left the game in the second inning. The preliminary diagnosis is a contusion to the thumb.
“Any time you get hit in the hand, it’s a little scary,” said Turner who tied the Los Angeles Dodgers record with his 18th hit by pitch. “It’s a little swollen. There’s some coloring in there, a bruise. We’ll see how it feels tomorrow.”
Corey Seager paid a visit to the same X-ray room following Wednesday night’s game after he fouled a ball off his right ankle. His exam also showed no fracture but Seager was not in the lineup Thursday.
Without Turner or Seager for most of the game, the Dodgers still managed to put together enough offense to beat the Phillies.
It was a pinch-hit home run by Andre Ethier that tied the score at 4-4 in the seventh inning. Chris Taylor followed with a triple and scored the go-ahead run.
For Ethier, it was his second pinch-hit homer since being activated this month. He is 8 for 25 in his return from a herniated disc and - for the second year in a row - appears to be playing his way onto the postseason roster despite spending 80% of the season on the DL.
“I’m really not focusing on October. I’m focused on today and then tomorrow I’ll focus on tomorrow,” said Ethier, who admits he wondered as recently as July whether he would ever play again.
“These guys (the Dodgers’ front office) have a lot of decisions to make. I have to keep showing up and proving it.”
Thursday’s starter, Kenta Maeda, went only three innings and allowed a two-run home run to Nick Williams. But he has proven enough to be considered for a postseason role in the bullpen where the right-handed setup men have been less dependable of late. Maeda will move to the bullpen next week and get some work in that role before the end of the season.
“Going forward, we see him as a weapon in the bullpen,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
Roberts cited Maeda’s success against right-handed batters as particularly valuable. In his two seasons, Maeda has held right-handed batters to a .216 average and .612 OPS while getting a strikeout one out of every three at-bats.
“I understand the realities,” Maeda said through his interpreter. “There are a limited number of starters needed in the postseason. I do want to be a starter but I understand. I’m just trying to contribute to the team any way I can.”
The Dodgers would take a clinching party any way they can get it after stumbling to the end of this three-city trip. A win at home Friday - or a home loss by the Diamondbacks against the Miami Marlins - would do it.
“Once we get that out of the way, I think it will be a big monkey off our backs,” Turner said. “Not that we can let up. But things haven’t been going too good for us right now. Maybe that little bit of relief will be good for all of us.”